As an insurance preferred shop, Minnetonka Collision Center works with insurance providers every day to determine if a vehicle can be properly repaired and to what extent. In some cases, a car has to be totaled. This means that the insurance company has determined that the car will not be repaired. Below we explain in detail what totaled means and how insurance companies arrive at the decision to total a car.
What Does Totaled Mean?
In the insurance world, the term totaled is the shortened form of total loss. When the cost of repairing the damages on a car exceeds the value of the car, then insurance companies will deem the vehicle irreparable. The have declared that car is a total loss. Once this decision is made, the insurance provider will send a check to the owner for the value of the car.
How Do Insurance Companies Arrive at This Decision?
Although it would seem that cost of damages is the sole factor in determining whether or not a car is totaled, there are other considerations. The number one consideration is the safety of the driver, the passengers in the car, and the safety of all other drivers on the road. For this reason, insurance companies weigh all the factors including damage costs, the safety of the vehicle, and other possible damages that are not easily recognizable upon first glance.
When a car comes into our shop, it is our responsibility to assess the entire damage of the vehicle and report to the insurance company how much it will cost to restore the car both inside and out. The insurance company then assesses the car's value and makes a final decision.
Appraising Your Vehicle
Although it would seem that an insurance company would write a check for the value of the car after the accidents, quite the opposite is true. The appraiser has to assess the value of the car before the accident. This is known as the actual cash value. The final amount written to you is determined after any deductions are taken out. Deductions can include car rental, towing, storage, and any salvage yard fees. Keep in mind, that your best option is to allow the vehicle to go into the salvage yard. You do not want to claim it and continue ownership.
We Work with Insurance Companies
When you bring your car to Minnetonka Collision Center, we can help you with the process of filing a claim to the insurance company. We work with numerous insurance providers and are on several preferred lists. We can repair your vehicle and totally restore it back to new in no time at all. Call us today at 763-230-7805. We are Plymouth, Minnesota’s premier automotive repair shop.
