When insurance totals your car, it means that the cost of repairs will exceed the car's total value after the accident.
can you keep your car if it's totaled?
yes – if the insurance company deems it “totaled” by collision. however, they will only pay the current market value of your car, rather than what you paid for it initially or its replacement cost. other circumstances are also possible where someone else owes you money which would encompass cars being totaled.
since this blog is not an advice column i am afraid that i cannot give legal advice to this question – but there is a good article on difference between “totalled” and totaled here http://www.jdpowerblog.com/2011/10/02/car-accident-questions-and-answers//
hope this helps!
can i still drive my car if the insurance company totals it?
the car must be un-drivable for insurance providers to total it.
though it can often be difficult to find a replacement vehicle that an individual has the same level of familiarity with, substitutes such as carmax and carmax make it much easier. but regardless of the path you take, the answer will be essentially identical: if you're thinking about getting your totaled car replaced by another, make sure to review their terms and conditions before signing anything: payment plans may or may not be offered and there might or might not be a time limit on deliveries; but regardless of those specifics if doesn't matter; if this is an option available through your insurer then it's likely still worth taking–after all even “bad” options provide
what happens when insurance claims your car a total loss?
if an insurer accepts partial responsibility for the damage, then it must compensate you with the proportion of its share in that liability. for example, if an accident happened and one driver is found to be at fault 50% of the time, then their insurance company pays out half of what should have been the total payout. the remainder would be paid by your insurance company depending on who was found to have caused 100% of the damage.
you are not responsible for liability payments made by your insurance provider following a car crash. when you file a claim with your own provider, they will take into account his percentage of fault as well as any relevant deductions to be made from standard payouts before deciding what amount is payable. even if
is it better to have a car totaled or repaired?
it is better to have a car totaled.
no one wants their car “totaled” for good, but sometimes insurance companies make it seem like the last thing you want. fact of the matter is that the cost of repairing the vehicle after an accident oftentimes exceeds the worth of your current vehicle. for example, there's a big difference between paying $5,000 to repair your old 2001 honda (worth $2,500) vs paying $10,000 cash for new 2018 honda accord with clean history and safety ratings (worth around $25k). if you get into an accident where your vehicle's not drivable or safe to drive anymore – call us! we'll help figure out what repairs are necessary along with