Can My Totaled Vehicle Still Be Repaired?

Few things are more traumatic and chaotic than a car accident. Just think of the squeal of tires, the thunderous clap of metal and plastic and the broken glass. Even if you’re lucky enough to walk away from a car accident unscathed, they’re no fun. What’s more, a car accident continues to be a hassle for days and weeks afterward.

Things get even more complicated when an accident leaves you with a totaled vehicle in Middletown, NJ.

When is a vehicle totaled?

When you hear the word “totaled,” there’s a sense of finality baked right in. That said, a totaled vehicle isn’t necessarily destroyed beyond repair. In New Jersey, an insurer deems a car as totaled under two conditions:

• The insurer believes repairs are “economically impractical”
• The cost of repairs to the vehicle surpasses the perceived market value of the car

In either of these cases, the insurer will declare the car or truck to be totaled. If the vehicle is new, your insurer may replace it outright. These cases are pretty rare, though. You might also secure a replacement if you have an addendum to your insurance policy that covers one.

However, in most cases, the insurance company will take your wrecked vehicle and cut you a check for the perceived market value.

What if I want to keep my totaled car?

Some people wonder whether they can repair their own car after an accident in Middletown, NJ. If you’d like to keep your totaled vehicle, you might be able to. Usually, when an insurance company gets their hands on your wrecked car or truck, they will sell it to a local salvage yard for the price of the individual components. It’s a good way for them to cover some of the costs of their payout to you.

If you explain to your insurance company that you’d prefer to keep the vehicle, they will still send a check, but with one significant subtraction. The insurer will typically ask for various bids from salvage yards on the value of your totaled car. They will subsequently subtract the income they would have gotten from salvaging your vehicle from your total payout. This can mean that if you choose to keep your totaled car, you could see your payout reduced by a couple hundred dollars.

Before you make the call

Deciding whether or not to keep your totaled vehicle is a big decision. Before you dive in, have your wrecked vehicle inspected by professionals like the Lentz Auto Body team. We’d be happy to look your car over from top to bottom and help you figure out whether it’s worth trying to breathe life back into it.

When you work alongside Lentz Auto Body, you can count on top-of-the-line workmanship each and every time. What’s more, you can count on our team for friendly, clear-cut communication from beginning to end. Make us your one-stop shop for auto body repair, repainting, detailing, restoration and more.

Put your trust in the name that’s served Middletown for more than 65 years. Lentz Auto Body is standing by to help. Contact us today!

Categorised in: Auto Body Repairs, Collision Repair

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