We have all heard the words “the car is totaled” at some point in our lifetimes. Hopefully, the car that was totaled wasn’t yours, or wasn’t the result of an accident that you caused. Many people are involved in horrific car wrecks every single day and total their cars. But what does this term mean, and what are its implications for your future and the future of your vehicle? There are a variety of ways that you can tell if a car is totaled. Normally, an adjuster will do the job for you by inspecting the automobile and determining whether or not it can be salvaged. A totaled car is essentially a car that it would cost more to fix than it would to go and purchase another car at the dealership. An insurance company will not generally pay for any repairs on a car that is worth less than the repairs cost.

If a car cannot be driven to the repairs shop because it won’t start or because the parts of the car are bent and block the view of the driver, then there is a good chance that the car is totaled. While this isn’t always the case, you may want to start preparing for this announcement. If you can’t drive your car off the road but still want to get the vehicle appraised, you should have it towed to a repair station. Check to see if there are any fluids leaking from the car. Many times if there is a serious oil leak or gas leak, the car is beyond repair. You will also want to walk around the car and see if there is extensive damage to the frame. Is a side smashed in, or is the back of the car dented drastically? If a car is over five years old and has significant damage from the crash to the body, then it may be totaled.

This is because even if the car is operable, it will cost up to $10,000 to rebuild or repaint the frame. Some people may choose to continue driving a car with a damaged frame, but for many this is embarrassing and unprofessional. If your insurance company declares that the car is totaled and won’t pay for the body repairs, then you may want to discuss your options with a car accident attorney. You can look up the value of your car in the Kelly Blue Book to determine whether or not you have totaled it in an accident. The Kelly Blue Book will show the estimated value of your vehicle at its current year. You will need to determine whether your car is in excellent, good, or poor condition. While this is a great guideline, keep in mind that insurance companies often use their own calculations to attribute a value to the vehicle. The numbers might not match up identically.

When you head to the repairs shop, ask the employees to give you a full estimate that includes all necessary procedures that would get your car back to 100 percent. If that number is higher than the figure you reached by looking in the Kelly Blue Book, your insurance company will probably deem the car totaled. As a result, they will give you the money that adds up to the value of the car and then take it away to be junked. If you are not at fault for an accident, then you may need to work with the other party’s insurance company to get the money to purchase a new car. If you were injured in the accident or suffered other pain and suffering then you may be able to receive a settlement for this as well. By doing so you may be able to gain enough finances to buy an even nicer car than before. Contact a car accident attorney near you for more information!