A recent accident left your car totaled, and you’re at a loss regarding what to do next. The options available at this point will depend on the party responsible for the accident and the terms of your auto insurance policy. Find out how to work through this difficult situation by reading here.

According to Interview Area, an estimated 12 million cars are destroyed annually in the United States. Many people with totaled vehicles try to escape their predicament by taking legal action. More specifically, they can seek compensation from the other driver’s auto insurance company. Whether filing a claim against the other driver’s insurer is an option for you will depend on who is responsible for the crash. If the other party accepts blame, their insurer must provide compensation. The court may also decide that the other driver was responsible for the accident.

Do note that state laws can complicate that situation. Certain states bar plaintiffs from recovering compensation if the drivers share the blame for what happened. You’ll have to work with a lawyer to avoid being unfairly blamed.

What are your options if your accident was caused by an uninsured driver or a collision with an object? In those scenarios, your best bet is to request compensation from your insurer. However, you can only do that if you have certain forms of coverage from your auto insurance company.

Uninsured motorist coverage will pay for your totaled car if an uninsured driver is responsible for the accident. Meanwhile, collision coverage will come into play if you accidentally struck an object. You can also obtain a payout from your comprehensive insurance if a thief or bad weather totals your car.

Your car may be totaled, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely worthless. Extracting value from it may still be possible. There are two ways to do that.

First, you can take your car to a dealership, trade it in, and use the proceeds to purchase a new vehicle. The dealership may not offer much for your destroyed car, but it could still cover a decent chunk of your new vehicle’s price tag. Alternatively, you can take your car to the junkyard and scrap it for cash.

Dealing with the aftermath of an accident is easier if you know what to do with your totaled car. Work with an auto insurance company like ours at Monument Insurance to get informed. Contact us today to ensure that you have adequate protection if your car is ever totaled!