When is a car a total loss
Under OC – generally when the repair cost exceeds the car's value before the damage. Under AC – according to the threshold in your policy terms (OWU), which can be lower, e.g. 70% of the car's value. It's also a total loss when a repair is technically impossible.
What we check
- whether the pre-accident value reflects the equipment, mileage and condition,
- whether genuinely comparable cars from the market were used for the valuation,
- whether the salvage value is inflated – e.g. based on a single auction offer,
- whether it is a total loss at all – sometimes a repair makes economic sense.
What happens to the car
The wreck remains your property. You can sell it – including to a buyer named by the insurer, if it presented an offer – or repair the car yourself. Before you sell it, keep the photos and documents – they may be useful for an appeal.