Resources

We’ve covered (with links) checking for a vehicle’s tax, insurance and MOT.
Imagine you’re damage only (not injury) so retaining a lawyer is uneconomic (cannot recover legal costs unless have injuries to the value of at least £1000), so it’s you v The Insurer.
Ignore the Official Injury Claims Portal and the On-line Claims Portal. The former is for non-vulnerable road users (car passengers for example) whose injuries are below the injury small claims threshold of £5000. The latter is for claims professionals like lawyers.
You are stuck with the Small Claims process in the County Court in England and Wales and a similar though differently named system in Scotland. Make a court claim for money – mygov.scot
A fixed amount (eg replacement buckled wheel and tyre) is called a Liquidated Claim. The value will be based on what the replacement has or will cost. A receipt or estimate is needed. This amount may form the basis of a claim through Money Claims on line, a division of the County Court Make a court claim for money: Make a claim – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If the claim is for an amount which cannot be quantified, it is UNLIQUIDATED and will be started with a Claim Form (Form N1) which when completed will be sent to the address in Northampton found in the link above with the necessary fee.
The booklet ex306 (available on line from HM Courts and Tribunals service) explains the procedure.
The Court process is short on investment and human resources. Don’t book a holiday in reliance on anticipated recovery.