My car was fixed and I had a hire car. Am I owed anything else?

The simplest way to see it

Picture two identical cars side by side on a forecourt. Same model, same year, same mileage, same colour. The only difference is on the history check: one of them was in a crash and was repaired. Which one would you pay full price for?

Nobody pays full price for the repaired one. Buyers knock the price down or walk away, and dealers do the same when you trade it in. The garage did a perfect job, and the car is still worth less than it was the day before the crash. That gap is the lost value. It is a real loss, it is measurable, and it belongs to you, not to the insurer.

Why almost nobody in Ireland claims it

Because nobody tells them it exists. The repair gets paid, the file closes, and the driver finds out at trade-in time, months later, when the offer comes in lower than expected. By then the insurer has moved on.

Can you still claim it?

It comes down to one thing: whether you signed a full and final settlement for the accident. If you did, this loss can no longer be claimed, and we will tell you that straight away rather than waste your time. If you did not, the claim can usually still be made, even months after the repair.

There are general time limits on claims for damage to property. If your accident was some time ago, call us and we will tell you honestly whether it is still open.

A four-question self-check

If you can answer yes to all four, it is worth a call.

1. The crash was not your fault, and the other driver was identified and insured.
2. Your car has been repaired, or is about to be.
3. You have not signed a full and final settlement for the accident.
4. You still own the car, or you sold it and can show what you got for it.

How we work it out

An independent assessor, who is not the garage, puts a written figure on it, based on the car, its age and mileage, and what was repaired. That figure is always shown separately from the repair cost, never folded into it. We put it to the other driver's insurer as part of your claim, in writing, and chase it until it is settled.

We never quote a figure before the assessor has seen your car, and we never inflate one. The written opinion is what makes the claim stand up, so it has to be right.

There is no upfront cost. Our fee is confirmed in writing before you sign anything.

What we do not do

We do not handle injury. We do not give legal advice. We do not promise a figure, an outcome or a timeframe.