Insurance Claim Categories

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Insurance Claim Categories

Category A

May not be resold. Must be crushed. Total burnout or flood damage (salt or foul water).

Severely damaged with no serviceable parts, or already stripped out shell.

DVLA require "Notification of Destruction".

Category B

May not be resold. Damaged beyond economical repair, usually with severe structural damage.

DVLA require "Notification of Destruction".

Parts can be removed and sold.

Category C

Repairable salvage. Usually applies to vehicles with significant (structural) damage, where cost of repairs exceeds book value.

Can be sold for repair but must now have VIC inspection before returning to the road.

Recorded as "Category C" at DVLA. Category C vehicles' V5 documents are returned to DVLA.

You re-apply for registration on the original identity once the VIC inspection has done.

VIC inspection and re-registration removes the Category C classification, but evidence it was at one time Category C remains on the vehicle's record at DVLA (and HPI and AA and the others).

VIC inspection

Straight from VOSA's web site "[The VIC] will involve comparing the vehicle presented against information held by DVLA, such as the vehicle identification number, make, model, colour and engine number.

The VIC will also compare the record of previous accident damage with evidence of damage repair as well as checking other components to confirm the age and identity of the vehicle."

Officially, the VIC does not check roadworthiness. If any significant defects are present, they can prevent it being used, but it is not a check of vehicle condition or roadworthiness. VIC tets centres in major towns, list on VOSA's site. It costs £35 (early 2005).

Category D

Repairable salvage. Minimal damage, probably not structural, but insurer does not want to repair, even though it might be economic to do so.

Often stolen and recovered after claim has been paid. Or for unusual models or grey imports where the difficulty of obtaining new parts hinders a quick repair.

Does not need VIC inspection to return to road. Recorded with HPI, AA, and the like.

Category X

Insurance-speak for 'Not Recorded', but subject to some claim and sold on by them as repairable salvage.

Not recorded on registers at HPI, AA, .. or known at DVLA.

Very light damage, or vehicle is fairly new. Requires minimal repair work.

"Not Recorded"

Not an official category, this is what you may see in a private advert.

Usually means the owner only had third party insurance and they stuffed it themselves, so can't claim for it.

Naturally, they aren't telling their insurance company - and they haven't told DVLA. Might be a total wreck, might be fixable.

But - since DVLA don't know about it - there is no requirement for any inspection. Buying something like this, you are on your own, and you'd better know what you are doing mechanically.

Submitted by Spud163