Dealing with Damage: How to Tell if Your Car is Totaled

Most of us have been in a car accident at one time or another or even if you haven’t, you are likely familiar with the process:

1. You have the damage assessed by the insurance company
2. They approve the coverages
3. you have a repair facility fix the vehicle

If the process run smoothly, you are back on the road in your vehicle in no time. Sometimes, however, those repairs won’t do the trick. In these cases, your car could be totaled or considered what is known as a TOTAL LOSS. There are quite a few reasons as to why an insurance company or repair facility might consider your vehicle a total loss and decide not to try to repair it.

Here are some ways how to tell if your car is totaled:

• It is going to cost too much-If the damage to the vehicle is extensive and the cost of repair is well above what the vehicle is worth, the insurance company might consider the vehicle a total loss.
• The frame is bent or damaged beyond repair-Because the frame of the vehicle is the basis of stability for the car, if it is bent or damaged badly, there may be no way to repair it. While the outside of the car may not look to bad, a bend frame will likely result in the car being considered totaled.
• The vehicle is just too old-One of the issues with repairing older vehicles is that it may be difficult or even impossible to source the materials needed to do the job. In these cases, if the car cannot be restored to working condition, it may be considered a total loss.
• The vehicle was severely burned-Vehicles that are seriously burned in a fire are almost always considered totaled. The smoke and fire damage pervade every nook and cranny of a vehicle and is literally impossible to get rid of completely. If your car was severely burned, it will likely be written of as a total loss.
• The vehicle was severely flooded-Equally as damaging as fire is water. A vehicle that has been submerged will suffer extensive damage and will likely not be able to be fixed and put back on the road. If the vehicle was only partially flooded, however, it may still be salvageable, but an extensive estimate of the damage will be able to tell for sure.

If you are the victim of an accident and your car has been totaled, know that you still have options available to you. You may be able to get the car repaired even if it was considered totaled in certain cases. In addition, you may receive compensation for more than the current value of your vehicle. It is recommended that you secure the services of a law firm that has experience in dealing with auto accidents. They can help negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to help you get the maximum financial compensation to which you are entitled.