What happens after an accident will depend on who was responsible for causing the accident.
- If you were not at fault, you can try to get the other person to pay for the cost of repairs to your car.
- If the crash was your fault, the other driver might ask you to pay the cost of fixing their car. You should get legal advice as soon as possible.
If each driver involved was partly at fault, they can both ask the other driver to pay some of the cost of repairs. It may be possible to negotiate the amount each driver has to pay to the other. If they cannot agree, either driver can start a claim in court.
You should get legal advice if it is not clear who is responsible for an accident.
If you end up needing to pay for the repairs to the other person's car or property, this amount may become a debt that you owe to the other person. A financial counsellor may be able to help you work out your options to pay off this debt.
What does it mean if my car is a 'write-off'?
If the cost of repairs is more than the cost of replacing your car (based on its market value), then your car will be considered a 'write-off'. In some cases, an assessor must notify the national Written-Off Vehicle Register that your car has been in an accident. Your car can be written-off, even if it was uninsured.
If your car is listed on the Written-Off Vehicle Register, it can impact on whether the Department of Transport will let you licence it again if it is repaired.