Total loss check
Pick the state, then enter the repair estimate and what the car was worth before the crash. The check applies the state's line in law and adds up a rough settlement.
Repairs (minus repainting) exceed the car's value: 100%
- Under this state's line in law
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- Repairs as a share of value
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- Estimated settlement
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In most states insurers may total a car below the line in law. Some leave hail or repainting out of the test or let the owner choose in a band (Rhode Island); the state's note above and its page give the detail. The settlement is the value you entered, plus tax if you entered it, minus the deductible.
Ask an agent about your coverageAsk an agent what your coverage pays on a total loss
After a claim, the policy you had is the one you can still change. Describe your situation and Valoroath passes it to licensed insurance agents and insurers who can review your coverage and quote, if you want them to. Valoroath itself does not sell insurance or handle claims.
- 1 Five questions about your car, your record and your policy.
- 2 Who to ask for, and your consent to be contacted.
- 3 A licensed insurance agent or insurer reviews what you have. You change nothing unless you choose to.
Sending this request shares your answers and contact details with the licensed insurance agents and insurers who receive it, which some state privacy laws treat as a sale; see your privacy choices. An agent reviews your coverage; they can't take on your claim or a dispute with your insurer. You pay Valoroath nothing. The licensed insurance agents and insurers who contact you pay Valoroath for requests and set their own prices and terms; your claim stays with your insurer. How we make money.
How the check works
About half the states set a share of a car's value at which a damaged car must be treated as a total loss, usually for its title. In those states the check divides the repair estimate by the value and compares it with the state's percentage. Where the law sets no percentage, it uses the total loss formula: repairs plus salvage value against the car's value. Each state's rule and source are on its page in claim rules by state.
Worked example: in a 75% state, an $8,000 estimate on a car worth $10,000 is 80% of its value, so it is likely a total loss. With 6% sales tax and a $500 deductible, the settlement estimate is $10,100.
Before you accept an offer
Ask for the valuation report and check its comparable cars, and ask whether sales tax and fees are included. Our guides to total loss claims and disputing a total loss valuation walk through both.