Would I likely be able to claim the money back from him through small claims court ? If I go through my insurance would I be responsible for paying for the excess if they can’t get hold of him?
That's not how insurance works, he caused the damage so he is liable, and by extension so is his insurance company.
You could claim off your own insurance and then you'd have to wait for your insurer to sort it out with the other insurance company, which could be an issue if your own renewal is up soon.
I always recommend in cases like this that you claim directly off the other driver's insurance company instead. There is no excess for third party claims (the insurer is required to put you back in the position you would have been in had the collision not occurred), and they'll have to arrange to fix your car or pay the cost of the repair (or if it's a write-off, they might just offer you a cash sum in lieu).
If you don't have the driver's insurance details, you can look them up on
https://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspxThere is a £10 fee, but you can just add that to your claim against his insurer.
You are going to have to tell your own insurance company, but if you simply explain what's what and that you're claiming off his insurance directly, they'll just make a note on the policy and probably leave it at that.
