I've been through the insurance process when it's not your fault it's very unfair, my insurance went up from £340 to £550 full comp even when I was sitting stationary in a queue of cars when a guy drove into the back of me putting me a car length and a half up the road. I was told that because I have been involved in one accident I have a higher chance of being in another and even if my car was parked outside my house unattended and it happened I would be treated the same. No one asked for service records etc. to value the car and my problem was that in N. Ireland no 172 Clio's were for sale over the 3 month period and only on the mainland which would involve flights and sailings to get a car home. After looking at several 172 / 182 Clio's in England I convinced myself I would never find a good one so I had to get a 197, I had the car from new 30miles on the clock always genuine parts and changed stuff because of age and not failure i.e. rear shocks pair every 2 1/2 - 3 years as they would leak around that time and front track rods wishbones and joints about the same time because after driving the car 12 years you know how long something lasts. I got £1000 pounds for the car but had spent £650 in the last 3 weeks and MOT the day before, insurance said that did not add value to the car as the work would have to be done anyway. I argued so much that I got the money and the car back so if the assessor values the car find the cars he valued it against and ring the price may not reflect major belt service due or missed, Cat C / D, or generally a parcel of crap with a nice picture (you can polish a turd sometimes). In my view if it's not your fault you should be left as you were before the accident regardless of cost ( or value of your old car) no mater what you should be able to get back into a same year, mileage, no of owners red Clio 197 or acceptable equivalent no wander people claim these days they have to in order to make up the difference of what they have lost. If insurance companies put things back better claims would fall. They will dig in over a couple of hundred in the value of a car, but will move thousands in a claim.