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Can I still drive a totaled car?

"My car was deemed a total loss by my insurance company. The bumper is cracked, but I can still drive it. Am I allowed to do this?"

avatar
Emily Maracle · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
“If your
car insurance
company deemed your car a total loss and paid you the actual cash value of your vehicle, they now own your car.
If you don’t want to settle for the value of your vehicle, you’ll have to negotiate with your insurance. If they let you keep it, you’ll likely receive a smaller pay out and be required to repair your vehicle yourself.
Once your vehicle is deemed a total loss, you’ll also be required to register it as
salvage
.
This can make it difficult to insure and there can be additional requirements with the DMV.
You should find out what the requirements of owning a salvage vehicle in your state would be. From there you can also see if your current company would allow you to keep it insured. If not, you’ll need to shop around to find another carrier who would.”
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