Sometimes, accidents are just unavoidable. There are countless scenarios that can detail these unfortunate accidents. Though some are avoidable, they can still occur as well. In any case, following a collision your vehicle may seem totaled. If you have auto insurance, you presumably anticipate your insurance company to pay for the damage. If the repairs are less expensive than the automobile is worth, they will, fortunately. Should repairs be more expensive than its value, the insurer will write off the vehicle as a total loss, however. Usually, you will then get paid back for the vehicle’s ACV, or actual cash value, and not for the total amount of the repairs by the insurance company. With this in mind, we at Top Notch Body Shop & Mechanical would like to discuss when your vehicle is actually totaled.
When is a Vehicle a Total Loss?
It is typically referred to as a total loss when vehicle that would cost more to repair than it is worth. For example, if its current value is $4,000 and the repair cost is $6,000 if a vehicle is deemed totaled. Totaled vehicles will be declined to be repaired from insurance companies. For the actual value of the vehicle, the insurance provider will instead compensate you. The intention is to provide you with the funds necessary for a new vehicle. If you’ve been in an accident, you might need to submit an insurance claim for your totaled vehicle. It will declare your vehicle to be totaled if a firm decides that it is more expensive to fix the damage than to purchase a comparable vehicle.
How is a Total Vehicle Loss Calculated?
Following an accident, many people want to know whether or not their vehicle is totaled. It is good to be familiar with terms listed below in this instance.
1) Real Money Value- The actual cash value of your vehicle is determined by a claims adjuster. The adjuster assesses factors, including the state of your vehicle, and generates a value estimate based on the model, year, mileage, and vehicle choices to achieve this.
2) Value of Salvage- Including the engine, electronics, tires, seats, and doors, this is based on the total cost of the recoverable and marketable parts left over from the collision. If the total sum of those goods is less than the vehicle’s actual monetary value, the vehicle is regarded as totaled.
3) Repair Costs- The solution is just a few calculations away, usually, to determine whether or not your vehicle is totaled.
To determine whether they are higher or lower than the vehicle’s real cash value, the adjuster will estimate your vehicle’s repair costs. If the overall repair estimate, after including the salvage value cost, is higher than the vehicle’s real cash value, the vehicle is typically considered totaled.
What Happens Once Your Vehicle is Deemed Totaled?
The insurance company will take possession of your vehicle after they transfer the title of your totaled vehicle into their name, typically. They may sell it to a buyer of salvage after that. If you want to keep your vehicle, the salvage value will be subtracted from your settlement amount. Since several jurisdictions have special rules, check with your claims adjuster to understand what owner-retained total losses imply.
Vehicle Alignment & More in Dallas, Texas (Just Minutes Away from Addison, Balch Springs, Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Coppell, DeSoto, Duncanville, Farmers Branch, Ferris, Garland, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Irving, Lancaster, Lewisville, Mesquite, Ovilla, Richardson, Rowlett, Sachse, Seagoville, Sunnyvale & Wylie, TX)
When your vehicle is repairable in the Greater Dallas, TX area, trust in the expertise of Top Notch Body Shop & Mechanical and let us take care of you!
