Natural Selection will hopefully sort out these people in the long run. This really sucks to hear, what a situation to be in! Anyway, glad you got the car back, and i can relate with your hatrid for excess, my insurance company asked if i wanted to pay my $2500 excess to fix cracks in my front bar, no thanks.
You always think to yourself "this will never happen to me", and shit, i hope it doesnt, a guy like me will get eaten for breakfast with a 4 ml spanner from the front or the back!
Glad to hear your ok tho Nigel, thats by far the main thing.