What should you look for in wanting to repair a dropped bike, and what should be avoided?  I consider myself mechanically inclined, so doing the work is not a problem.  Would it be better to buy a newer bike that has been laid down or an older one that has been taken care of?  Is the frame breaking at the passenger footpeg common on dropped bikes?

Dropped or crashed?

If it's a drop, a little tip over at 0mph, then the only damage that could possibly need to be repaired are bars if they are bent and replacing the side casing if it cracked