How to deal with a totalled car after the car accident

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Have you been involved in an unfortunate accident, but your vehicle has survived major damage? If so, your insurance company may label it written off the car as a “total loss”. Of course, it is a difficult experience to experience a major vehicle crash and seeing your damaged auto declared as a total loss. But, how do you cope with a totalled car after an accident?

Before you call your auto insurance company, knowing what happens next can certainly reduce some of the stress accompanying with major vehicle accidents. It will also provide you a game plan to deal with the insurance agencies and getting on with your life.

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How much will my insurance give me for my totalled car?

Different countries use different total loss threshold. If total-loss threshold used by your state is 70%. It means that if 70% or more of your car’s value is damaged. In this case, your insurance provider will consider it as a total loss.

How can you deal with a totalled car?

If you get in an auto crash with worst condition of vehicle, there are a few options that you can consider. You can consider to keep and fix a machine, sell your vehicle for parts, or donate it to charity.

Keep the car and fix it

If your automobile is not mechanically damaged and cosmetic damage is what deemed it totalled. It may probably be safe to drive. In such situations it makes sense to repair or fix your vehicle. Additionally, it is normal to get emotionally attached to a machine that you use daily. Maybe the settlement value isn’t adequate to purchase a replacement automobile. In this situation, the insurance provider deducts the scrap value (the value it expects to get for your wrecked automobile) along with the deductible if you were at fault. Well, you will be paid the remaining money.

As opposed to a clean title, the insurer will give you a salvage title for the automobile. It is a rule that when an insurance agency declares an automobile as a complete write-of. It will have a salvage title. And, if you decide to sell it later, you cannot claim that your vehicle has a clean title when it actually doesn’t.

It is may be difficult to get an auto insurance on a vehicle with a salvage title. In fact, there are some companies won’t insure them at all. While some will only offer liability insurance, instead of a collision or comprehensive insurance.

Keep the car, but don’t fix it

If it still safe to drive, you can simply keep the car and accept whatever cosmetic damage has made it a total write-off. This is common with automobiles that are paint loss or with dents or scratches, from hail damage or any other accident. However, if the drivetrains including transmission, engine are working perfectly well and the airbags didn’t deploy, it may still be in good enough condition to serve your needs. If the amount claimed from the insurance provider is not sufficient to cover a replacement vehicle, then this may be a smart option to opt for.

Sell your car for parts

After taking the ownership of a totalled vehicle, an auto insurance agency purchase totalled auto and sell it for parts or materials. If you feel that you have adequate know-how or skills to remove and price the several many parts of your auto on your own, you choose to the vehicle and sell its individual parts. This way you could receive more money than what the insurance company may offer you. Moreover, if you have great knowledge about cars and want to use its parts in another vehicle, this may be an option for you.

Get the cash for cars

Many times people choose to take the pay-out offered by the auto insurance company and hand over their damaged auto to the insurers. The insurance provider or the at-fault driver’s insurer will give you a check with the amount of the automobiles’ actual cash value. If you were at fault in the accident, the insurer will pay you the value less the deductible.

However, don’t forget that you can always negotiate the money on your totalled automobile. Remember to be clear while negotiating with the insurer and learn how they have determined the value of your auto. Typically, they select five vehicles that are “comparable” to yours and determine their worth. They won’t consider the most expensive and least expensive automobiles, and take the average price of the remaining three vehicles and this what they pay you.

But the problem with this process is that the insurance provider may not have a precise representation among those five vehicles. These automobiles might have minimal accessories or maybe vehicles of lower end models. However, make sure to ask the insurer how they arrived at the offer price. Also, check that they consider the exact trim, model. And mileage of your vehicle before the crash. Also, get ready to prove the value of your automobile. You will need the receipts for anything installed on your vehicle. Remember the receipts for repairs and maintenance won’t help you. Because theoretically they just put your vehicle in a drivable condition and don’t increase the worth of your vehicle.

Donate your car

If you want to enjoy a tax deduction on the depreciated value of your vehicle. You can consider donating your vehicle to charity. Some donation services will also tow your vehicle for free. Sell it for part or components and let you choose the charity services that receives the money from your totalled vehicle. A few popular ones include – Kars4Kids, Wheels for Wishes and Cash for US Troops.

Along with transferring the title, you’ll need to fill out a form to gift the vehicle to the charity. However, different charitable organisations in each state use different processes. If your automobile is worth more than $5,000. You might need an independent appraisal. If you decide to sell your automobile for parts, it will likely bring you less money. But if you just want to dispose of your automobile and move on. It will be a good option to donate.