Car accidents are stressful to begin with, but if your vehicle sustains enough damage to be labeled “totaled” by your insurance company, it can feel downright catastrophic. Insurers declare totaled cars only if the cost of a repair exceeds a set percentage of your car’s value before the accident. Different insurance companies have different requirements for this percentage, so what one insurer considers totaled might not match another’s standards for a total loss. Either way, you’re left with a check that covers the car’s cash value minus your deductible — so now what?

What to Do if Your Vehicle Is Totaled After a Car Accident

Know Your Options

If you’re attached to your vehicle and don’t agree with the insurer’s assessment of a total loss, you will have a short window of opportunity to protest. You will be asked to provide evidence your totaled car is worth keeping, such as estimates from a body shop willing to perform the work for less than what the insurance company was quoted, or written statements from a mechanic of the mechanical improvements that will result from a repair.

However, your insurance policy is a contract you signed agreeing to the insurer’s terms, and their final decision of your appeal must be respected. In most cases, you will be presented with a check for the car’s assessed value while the insurer has the vehicle sent for salvaging. If you wish to keep the totaled car in addition to this check, you must work out an agreement with the insurance company.

Keeping a Totaled Car

If you can keep the totaled car, it becomes your financial responsibility to repair it. Not all damages are visible, and safety should be your top priority. You’ll also run into challenges trying to secure new insurance for a previously totaled car. It will also be challenging to sell the car later or trade it in.

The truth is that keeping a car that has been deemed a total loss might be more trouble than it’s worth. The repairs might also be costlier than you expect. Many body shops offer insurance companies slight discounts for their business, and most estimates only cover visible damages. Once a car is worked on, it’s common for technicians to find additional repairs that must then be added to the bill. Do your research and think about the pros and cons of keeping a totaled car before you make the decision.

If you need assistance after a car accident dealing with a totaled car, the experts at Wreck Expert are there to help. With more than 20 years of dealership and collision management experience in Kansas and Missouri, this consumer advocate group helps clients understand why they should or shouldn’t accept their insurance’s offer after an accident. Call (913) 444-4636 with your questions, or visit them online today to learn more about their mission.