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Car Insurance Learning Center  Learning Center  Auto Insurance Questions & Answers   Questions & Answers  Professional Answers   Auto Insurance Answers

I live in Texas and my car was totaled and it was not my fault. Is there a way to keep my car and get the most money the insurance will give me to fix my car? And could I sue to make up for the difference.

If you want to keep your car then normally you would request this of the insurance company and if they allow you to do so then the salvage value of the vehicle is taken out of the settlement (for the car's actual cash value) you would receive for the vehicle. When you take a settlement for the car's ACV then you usually cannot sue the driver for additional monies. 

According to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) consumer for auto insurance, an insurance company will pay for repairs or replacement only up to the car's actual cash value. Actual cash value is the amount that your car would have sold for before the accident

The car insurance consumer guide speaks about the issue you are having by noting that sometimes the insurance company may want to total your car, but you would prefer to have it repaired instead. You normally can keep your car if you are willing to subtract its salvage value from the insurance settlement. First make sure the cost to repair the car will not exceed the car's actual cash value. To find out the salvage value, contact local salvage yards for estimates

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If your insurance company totals your car but you cannot reach an agreement on the amount to be paid, you can demand an appraisal. Appraisal allows you and the company to hire separate damage appraisers. The two appraisers choose a third appraiser to act as an umpire. The appraisers then review your claim, and the umpire rules on any disagreements. The appraisal decision is binding, but only as to the amount of the loss.

For more information on what your consumer rights are in Texas regarding the totaling of a vehicle and auto insurance claims in general, contact the TDI at their site or at 1-800-252-3439. 

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Car Insurance Related How is my car determined to be a "total loss"?
Car Insurance Related I just recently totaled my 2003 Nissan Altima. The insurance adjuster made me an offer of about $13K for the car (actually a lot more than what I was expecting). When I asked if I had the option to keep the car, he said that I did, but that they would pay me a salvage value. The salvage value would calculate out to about 20% less than the initial offer (about $10K). If I keep the car, does that mean that I would receive the car plus $10K? At that point, I would not plan on repairing the vehicle. Instead I would try to sell the vehicle or trade it in at a dealership for as much as I could. If my theory is correct, I would end up making a lot more money off of this then if I had just accepted the initial offer of $13K. Is that true?
Car Insurance Related What constitutes a total loss if a car is damaged? Are there certain things car adjusters look for or are there certain damages that automatically make the car a total loss?
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This car insurance answer was last updated 3:48 PM Sep-21.
This question was asked 10:54 PM September-19-2007.
Tom V. requested this car insurance help from CarInsurance.com experts.
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