Getting into any type of accident can be frightening and frustrating. After checking to make sure all drivers and passengers are okay, it’s important to contact your insurance company.  They will either assign an insurance company adjuster to look at your vehicle or instruct you to take the vehicle to a skilled body technician  to assess the damage.  The adjuster or body technician can determine if the vehicle is safe to drive before repairs are performed.  They can also help determine whether the vehicle damage is worth fixing (or totaled), which can be difficult for the untrained eye. Luckily, the professionals at Stephenson Truck Repair, Inc. in Lincoln, NE, have a lot of experience with all types of vehicle accident repairs.  They also have useful information to help you understand what it means when insurance companies consider vehicles totaled.

Lincoln Body Shop Manager Explains What It Means When Vehicles Are Totaled

What Totaled Really Means 

Naturally, the word totaled brings to mind a vehicle that is too damaged to safely operate. Actually, in insurance company terminology, it refers to the “total loss,” meaning the repairs, loaner vehicle rental fees, storage, and additional associated costs are greater than what you’d pay to replace the vehicle. 

What Auto Insurance Companies Do When Vehicles Are Damaged
Or Totaled

After an insurance adjuster or skilled body technician evaluates the damage, a list of the necessary parts and materials to repair the vehicle will be estimated.  The amount of labor needed to repair and refinish the vehicle will also be determined.

Depending on the specifics of the accident (who is at fault), either your insurance company or other involved party’s insurance company will coordinate and pay for repairs OR pay a cash sum for the totaled vehicle.  One exception to this is if the accident is your fault (or considered no-fault) and you have chosen not to carry comprehensive and collision coverage on your inexpensive/older vehicle.  If the accident is not your fault (and not considered no-fault), the insurance company of the party at fault is required to pay for damages to your vehicle, no matter what type of coverage you carry.       

What Happens When You Want to Keep a Totaled Vehicle

If the totaled vehicle isn’t too badly damaged, you might want to keep it. It could have sentimental value, could have been a very reliable vehicle, or you just don’t want to shop for a new vehicle.  In these cases, work with the insurance company to come up with a course of action. Adjusting the repair estimate to include non-manufacturer parts and making other amendments could help lower the repair costs.  Or it is also possible for the insurance company to pay you a cash sum amount for the totaled vehicle.  Then you can often times repurchase the vehicle from the insurance company at a deeply discounted price.  Then you can decide what repairs you really want or need.    

Whether you need body repair after a minor fender bender or complete collision repair, the team at Stephenson Truck Repair, Inc. has the tools and experience, backed by a solid reputation, to restore your vehicle to its original condition. They perform body repairs on all types of vehicles.  To schedule an appointment in Lincoln, call (402) 466-8532. Visit Stephenson Truck Repair, Inc.’s website and Facebook page today. You can trust them to provide quality truck repairs.