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How does insurance decide when to total a car?
My car was in an accident. I want to know whether it's a total loss or not. How does insurance decide when to total a car?
Emily Maracle · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
To determine whether a car is totaled,
car insurance
companies look at the total cost of repairs versus the vehicle’s value.The vehicle’s value is its
actual cash value
. Actual cash value is the cost of the vehicle minus depreciation.If the total cost of repairs is more than what your vehicle is worth, your car insurance company will deem it a total loss. If this happens, you receive the actual cash value of the vehicle as settlement.
If the cost of repairs is less than your vehicle’s value, your insurance will typically pay for repairs.
If you have any questions about the claims process, you can always contact your claims adjuster or insurance company. Either should be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Should your insurance increase after your accident, try
Jerry
. Jerry is a personal insurance broker that lives in your pocket. Jerry gathers quotes from up to 50 of the top insurance providers to find you the best rate.View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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