If you’re involved in a car wreck, there’s a good chance your vehicle will be damaged. Depending on the seriousness of the impact, your car or SUV could end up destroyed. In either case, your Annapolis accident lawyer is going to demand that you be fairly compensated. As long as your Annapolis injury lawyer can prove that the other driver caused the crash, you’ll have a good chance of recovering damages. It all depends on the facts of the case. If your car is destroyed, there’s a likelihood that the defendant, or their insurance company, will have to pay for a vehicle replacement. The question is how much they’ll have to pay. Here, we’ll discuss this further and explain how the insurance company determines how much your vehicle was worth.
If you were in a car accident and aren’t sure what to do, you should contact our office. You can call today and schedule a free, initial consultation.
How Serious Was the Damage to Your Vehicle?
The main factor that will determine if you’ll be compensated for your vehicle comes down to how serious the damage was. If you were involved in a rear-end collision, your car would probably only suffer minor damage. However, if you were hit head-on or were T-boned, your vehicle probably won’t survive the crash. Most of the time, you can tell when your car is drivable. If you need to get it towed from the crash site, it’s a sign that you may need a vehicle replacement
When the insurance company gets a chance to inspect the mechanic’s report, they’ll make their final decision as to whether it should be totaled. If they do decide to deem it totaled, you’ll have two options. You can take the money and put it toward a vehicle replacement, or you can take the money and do what you want with it. However, in order for this to happen, your Annapolis injury lawyer must win your case.
Your Insurance Company Will Determine if Your Vehicle is Totaled
In the days following your accident, you’ll need to get your vehicle to a mechanic. They’ll give you an estimate as to how bad the damage is. They’ll send a report to the insurance company, letting them know how much it will cost to fix your vehicle.
Once the insurance adjuster receives this report, they’ll compare it to the fair market value of your car or SUV. Most companies tend to use a site like Kelly Blue Book when trying to determine the fair market value of a car. If it is going to cost more to fix your car than it would have to replace it, your car will be declared totaled and you will need a vehicle replacement.
What Factors Do the Adjusters Use to Determine if It’s Totaled
There are several factors the insurance adjuster and mechanic will take into consideration when evaluating your car. The first thing they’ll need to check is to see if there was any damage prior to the crash. They can always do a report to find out what prior accidents you’ve been involved in.
Another thing that impacts the value of your car and whether it will be totaled is if you owe money on the car. For example, if you still owe $5,000 on the car and it is going to cost more than that to fix it, the insurance company may declare it totaled. It makes more sense than giving you the same amount to fix the car. At the end of the day, you’ll still owe $5,000 on the car. They may order the defendant to pay the fair market value and it would be paid directly to the bank holding the title.
You Cannot Demand Compensation for a Brand-New Vehicle Replacement
It’s important to point out that you are not entitled to receive money to buy a new car entirely. If your car was only worth a few thousand dollars, they aren’t going to order the defendant to pay you five times that much. The goal is to provide you with a similar vehicle replacement. You aren’t going to walk away from the situation in better shape than when you were in prior to the crash.
Once the insurance company determines how much your car was worth, they’ll let your Annapolis accident lawyer know. Your attorney will then work this amount into their complaint. They will also keep this number in their heads when it comes time to negotiate a settlement. They will make sure that your settlement is large enough to cover all of your out-of-pocket expenses.
You Should Reach Out to an Annapolis Injury Lawyer Today
If you were involved in a motor vehicle accident, there’s a good chance you’ll be entitled to damages. It all depends on the facts of your case and what your Annapolis accident lawyer can prove. It also depends on what determination the insurance company makes regarding your car. Our Annapolis accident lawyers have handled more than our fair share of car accident cases. Our goal is always to get our clients as much money as possible. This includes getting you the fair market value for your car.
We recommend that you contact an experienced Annapolis injury lawyer as soon as possible. The last thing you want to do is wait until the last minute. You only have a certain amount of time to appeal your insurance claim if it’s denied. You must also meet the statute of limitations in Maryland for personal injury. Since we offer all new clients a free, initial consultation, you have nothing to lose by meeting with an attorney. Sit down with one of our skilled Annapolis accident lawyers and find out if you have a case or not. If you do, they will more than likely be willing to represent you. They can also give you an idea of what the case is worth.
Call today and set up a date and time that works for you.
