What Happens After a Vehicle Is Totaled in an Accident?
Two vehicles colliding might not always cause injuries or damages to the car, but most times, the vehicle incurs at least some damage to its body. If it becomes too damaged, then it might be totaled. Even though you’ve likely heard of someone whose car was totaled in a wreck, you still might not know what that all entails. You also might not know what to do or what your next steps are after your vehicle is totaled.
After an accident where your car was totaled and you sustained injuries, but you weren’t at fault for the collision, you could use legal help to recover financially for your damages. An Atlanta car accident lawyer from Bey & Associates can help you get the compensation that you deserve so that you can focus on getting your life back to normal.
Let’s take a look at what it means to total your car and what happens after it’s declared to be totaled.
What Does It Mean to Total a Vehicle?
A collision could total your vehicle, but you might not fully understand what that means for you and your car. You’ll want to know what totaling your car means so that you’re not left wondering whether or not you can keep your car or if you need a new one.
A car is considered to be totaled when the cost to repair the car is higher than the current value of the vehicle. Some states have laws to determine total loss, but Georgia isn’t one of those states, which means that insurance companies will decide when your car is considered totaled. You can, however, recover the market value for your car when it’s totaled or have the car replaced.
What’s important to note is that the value of the vehicle is not what you paid for the car. How much the car is worth depends on the local market value for your car. If you’re recovering the value from your insurance company, then what you can recover is the market value of the car minus the cost of any deductible you have.
Now that you have a better understanding of what it means for your car to be totaled after an accident, let’s take a look at your options and what you should do next.
What Happens Next?
After you find out that your car is totaled, there are a couple options that you have. When you weren’t the person at fault for your collision, you could have the choice between going through your own insurance or the at-fault party’s insurance. When you go through your own policy, it will likely move faster but you might not be able to recover the full amount you deserve for all of the costs you suffered.
When you go through the liable driver’s policy, it could take much longer to get what you deserve. However, you could recover the full amount you’re owed for your totaled car as well as any injuries and other damages that you have from the collision. They might also be able to cover the costs of a rental car for you to drive in the meantime.
Even if your car is totaled, if you really want to keep it, you might be able to. The only problem is that you could have trouble recovering compensation for the damages or the value of the car when you decide you want to keep it. If you want to be able to drive the car again after it’s been determined to be totaled, you’ll get the salvage title and have to get it repaired. Once it’s fixed, you’ll have to submit it to the State of Georgia for review so they can determine if it’s safe to drive again.
They could reject the vehicle, and then you’d be out of all the costs you paid. That’s why it’s best to take the loss and get a new car after your vehicle is totaled.
Our Car Accident Lawyer Will Represent You
When your car is totaled after an accident, you’ll likely be dealing with insurance companies and trying to figure out how much you’ll get in compensation. The problem is that most insurance companies will be trying to protect their bottom lines and might offer you less than you deserve for your totaled vehicle.
When this happens, you could use the help of an Atlanta car accident lawyer from Bey & Associates. Our experienced attorneys know how to fight for you and ensure that you get full and fair compensation for the damages you suffered. Reach out to our office today so that we can get started working for you right away.