Do I have to pay insurance for a totaled car?

If someone totals your car in an accident, you’re likely wondering what your options are and if your insurance will cover the cost of a new car.

You have many options available to you if someone totals your car besides accepting your insurance company’s offer. You also have choices when insuring a totaled car.

Understanding your insurance policy is the best way to determine what you should do with a totaled car.

Do I have to pay insurance for a totaled car?

Generally, no — if your insurance company decides your car is totaled, you are no longer required to pay insurance on it. Insuring a totaled car is often not necessary.

When someone damages your car to the point that your insurance company decides it’s not worth the costs of repairing it, they will consider it totaled. Your insurance company refers to this as total loss.

The definition of total loss is if a car’s repairs, including insurance, would cost more than an average of 80% of the vehicle’s current price. This percentage can vary between insurance companies and states.

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How does my insurance company decide if my car is a total loss?

Your insurance adjuster will decide if your car is a total loss. They will look at the condition of the body, the interior, the tires, the mileage, and the costs of any additional parts. They will try to find the price for your vehicle as it was before it was totaled by looking at similar models in your area. Calculating the total loss estimate of a similar vehicle, they will finally decide the actual cash value (ACV) of your vehicle.

The ACV is the reference point that decides if your car is a total loss. If repair costs exceed a percentage of that number as determined by your insurance company, they may consider your car a total loss. You can dispute the claim if you wish.

For your car to be a total loss, one of a few things must be the case:

• The cost of repairs exceeds the cost of the vehicle.
• A mechanic cannot safely repair the vehicle.
• Your state decides the car is a total loss.

For your state to determine if a car meets the threshold of a total loss, they will, like your insurance company, assign a percentage describing what the cost of repairs will be compared to the cost of a similar vehicle. The percentage of repair costs can be between 50%-100% of the vehicle’s value before the accident, depending on your state’s policy. Not all states have a legal threshold, instead leaving the decision to the insurance company.

What are my options if someone totals my car?

You don’t necessarily have to accept your insurance company’s payout if someone totals your car.

One thing you can do is trade in the vehicle at a dealership. You could also sell it to a junkyard as scrap metal. You can donate it to charity for the tax credit or salvage the car.

Another option is to repair it yourself. However, because the state considers your car totaled, it will have what they call a salvage title. While you can obtain car insurance for a salvage car title, you need to know the risks and understand who is willing to cover them. This means that even if you repair the vehicle and can drive it again, your insurance rates will be especially high. You can apply for a new title if you or someone else repairs your vehicle.

How much can I get for a totaled car?

If you sell your car to a junkyard, most of the time, weight determines its value. This is because a totaled car is little more than scrap metal to most buyers. However, how much your car is worth depends on how much scrap metal is worth on any given day, and the price can fluctuate wildly. In any event, you shouldn’t expect to get much more than a few hundred dollars using this method.

An alternative is selling it to a company that specializes in buying totaled cars. These companies often take into account other factors besides weight, including the quality of the interior, its body, and its title. If you go this route, you can expect to get slightly more.

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Will my insurance rates go up?

Your insurance rates will go up if the accident was your fault. How much your rates increase also depends on the nature of the accident. If you injured someone and the accident was your fault, your rates will go up more than if there were no injuries. If this wasn’t the first time you’ve been at fault for an accident and caused significant property damage, your insurance company will increase your rates far more than if it was the first time.

Car insurance claims will typically stay on your record for between three and five years. That’s how long it will take before your rates go back down.

Will my insurance company replace my car?

Virtually all insurance companies will cover the cost of a new car if it is totaled immediately after you get it and have full coverage. At worst, they’ll subtract the deductible on your policy from the price.

Most insurance companies will replace your car as long as it’s very new. This often means you’ve owned the vehicle for less than three months.

However, your insurance company will not pay off any loans you may have taken out to buy the car if you don’t have GAP insurance.

Can I still get insurance on a totaled car I’ve repaired?

Yes, but because the state assigns a rebuilt salvage title to a totaled but repaired vehicle, your options will be more limited. Many insurance companies don’t provide insurance to a car with a rebuilt salvage title because they can’t determine the quality of the workmanship on the repaired vehicle. When trying to insure a totaled car, make sure you’re comparing companies that cover cars with salvage titles.

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Final Thoughts on Insuring a Totaled Car

When insuring a totaled car, you don’t necessarily need insurance if your car has been totaled and is undrivable. You have options for what you want to do with the car after someone’s totaled it. If you’re properly insured, your insurance company will compensate you for the value of the vehicle minus the deductible. If for whatever reason you don’t want to accept the insurance company’s offer, you have alternatives that you can pursue as well.

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