CV Joint Gaiter - accident damage?

[VXturncoat]

Hello

 

Hoping someone a bit more "mechanically sympathetic" might be able to answer this for me...

 

I had an accident about a month ago. The "third party" (apparently my insurer would prefer I didn't refer to them as "the numpty") pulled out of a side road and straight into my front nearside wheel, damaging the wheel arch and throwing the tracking out significantly. The insurer repaired the wheel and tracking straight away

 

However yesterday my Octy vRS failed it's MOT due to a cracked cv joint gaiter - same wheel. The other gaiter was fine.

 

RSA are "quibbling" over whether the crack is likely to be due to the accident or not - the MOT inspector wouldn't be drawn on the cause of the damage, but another mechanic seemed to think, off the record, that it would be due to the prang.

 

Any ideas? Worth fighting with RSA? Do "cracks" appear in these boots as a matter of wear and tear anyway?

 

Thanks in advance

Ant

[giandougl]

Nah! get it replaced, ask yourself is it worth all the agro to try for a claim after the settlement has been done and dusted.

Just get it replaced yourself??

[rwbaldwin]

Was the wishbone and balljoint OK in the accident?

If so, it's unlikely (but not impossible) that the accident caused the damage.

If the gaiter is cracked and not cut, it is likely due to wear and tear.