Your insurance company may take a totaled car after a collision in Massachusetts. In this case, the company often sells the vehicle for salvage value. However, you can also negotiate to keep a totaled vehicle in some cases.
If you keep a totaled vehicle, you need to apply for a salvage title. You have to return your plates after the insurance company declares your vehicle totaled. You can learn more about how to handle a totaled vehicle with a Boston car accident lawyer.
My Car Is Totaled, Now What?
Dealing with the insurance company totaling your car can result in confusion and stress. Fortunately, you can move forward after a major accident. After the insurance company declares your car totaled, several things may happen.
You can accept the insurance company’s judgment if you sustained a total loss in an accident. In this situation, the company takes the vehicle, applies for a salvage title, and may sell it for salvage to recoup some of the losses associated with the crash.
Depending on your level of insurance coverage, the company may provide you with compensation to replace your totaled vehicle. You may also need to pursue compensation from the party that caused your accident in some cases.
What if You Want to Keep Your Car?
You may request to keep your totaled car after an accident. However, the insurance company may not pay full value for the vehicle in this situation. Additionally, you will need to request a salvage title and turn in your license plates.
You can never get a clear title on a vehicle that has been declared a total loss. However, you can register your vehicle again in the future if, after repairs, it passes a required salvage inspection.
So, what should you do with a totaled car in Massachusetts? You can let your insurance company take it or keep it yourself. Many drivers decide to let the insurance company take the vehicle for the sake of convenience.
What Determines a Car Being Totaled?
Generally, the insurance company determines if your car is totaled. The company makes this decision by looking at the cost to repair the vehicle and comparing this cost to the vehicle’s total value.
So, what does “car totaled” mean? Any vehicle that would cost more to repair than the vehicle’s value may qualify as “totaled” by the insurance company.
Do You Turn in Your Plates for a Totaled Car?
Massachusetts generally requires you to remove the plates from a totaled vehicle. Different parts of the state may have local regulations on what to do if your motor vehicle is totaled.
You may request to register the plates to a different vehicle or cancel them. If you want to return the plates, make sure you get a Return Plate Receipt. The local board of Assessors and your insurance company will need to see the receipt.
You may remain liable for the excise tax for the plates until you provide the receipt. An attorney can provide you with more information about what you should do with a totaled car in Massachusetts.
Can You Get More Money for a Totaled Car?
The insurance company may offer you less money than you believe you deserve if an accident totals your car. In this situation, you may request another assessment of the value of the losses. Sometimes, this request will result in more compensation.
You can also provide the insurance company with proof showing why the car is worth more than the value assigned to it. Things like a recent engine repair or new brakes may increase the amount paid in the total loss check.
In some cases, you can provide evidence of the replacement cost of your vehicle. This means that if you can show it would cost $10,000 to replace your vehicle, even though the insurance company determined it was only worth $7,000, you may be able to get $8,000 or $9,000.
However, you may also have to work with a lawyer to seek further compensation from the party that caused your collision. You may qualify for additional money to replace your totaled car if an attorney can show that another party owed you a duty of care, violated that duty, and directly caused the collision and your losses.
What Other Compensation Can You Receive After a Crash?
A car accident lawyer can help you secure compensation for all the losses you sustain in a crash. These losses include the physical pain you may experience, which could impact your ability to cook, clean, and enjoy your life.
An attorney can also calculate pain and suffering in your car accident case. You could secure money for your mental anguish, loss of companionship, and emotional suffering if someone else caused the crash.
A personal injury law firm can also help you get compensation for your medical expenses. When should you call a car accident lawyer to discuss these losses? The professionals recommend calling immediately after a crash, resulting in injuries, property damage, or a fatality.
Discuss What You Should Do With a Totaled Car in Massachusetts
What should you do with a totaled car in Massachusetts? You can allow the insurance company to take the vehicle and pay you for its value. You may also decide to keep the car, though this may result in less money from the insurance company.
In either case, Massachusetts requires the party that keeps the vehicle to get a salvage title, and you will need to switch the plates or return them.
You can learn more about how to handle a totaled vehicle and your options for securing maximum compensation for all losses with a local law firm. Our team gets back to you fast as part of our Stone Cold Guarantee®, so call or complete our online contact form.
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