My Car Is Totaled And I Only Have Liability Insurance

My Car Is Totaled And I Only Have Liability Insurance — What Do I Do?

When you get in a car accident, you want to make sure your insurance has you covered.

Liability insurance is the minimum coverage that you’re required to have legally. However, it won’t be enough if your car is totaled.

If you only have liability insurance, as many drivers do, your options are limited.

Below we explain what liability coverage is, why it won’t cover your totaled car, and how selling your damaged car can be the best option for you.  

What Is Liability Insurance?

Liability insurance is a type of automobile insurance that covers medical bills and auto repairs if you are found to be at fault in a collision.

This coverage, though, does not pay for your car repairs or medical bills but rather the other driver’s.

In most states, liability insurance is the minimum level of coverage that you are legally required to have if you operate a vehicle.

Depending on the state you live in, you will need to have a certain amount of liability coverage.

For example, in Florida, your liability insurance needs to offer:

• $10,000 for property damage per accident
• $10,000 for personal injury protection

In a state like Connecticut, on other hand, your liability policy needs to cover:

• $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $25,000 property damage liability per accident
• $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person
• $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident

There are several other types of car insurance options that provide different levels of coverage, including:

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: Covers your medical bills or car repairs if you are hit by a driver who doesn’t have insurance or whose liability coverage isn’t enough to cover your bills.
• Comprehensive coverage: Provides coverage from non-automotive damage like theft, inclement weather, or vandalism.
• Collision coverage: Covers repairs for your vehicle if you hit another car or a non-automotive object like a tree or fence.
• Medical payment coverage: Provides coverage for medical bills for you, your passengers, or family members who are driving your vehicle and are injured in an accident.
• Personal injury protection: Similar to medical payment coverage but can also cover lost income due to your injuries from an accident.

Does Liability Insurance Cover A Totaled Car?

Liability insurance covers two things:

• Medical bills
• Car repairs

However, it only covers these things for the other driver. Your totaled car would not be covered by liability insurance. You will need to pay to repair or replace your vehicle yourself.

Fortunately, there are other types of insurance policies that would cover your vehicle in this kind of situation:

• Collision coverage is one policy option that can protect you if your car is totaled. Because collision insurance covers damage to your car, regardless of fault or object you collided with, your auto repairs will be covered (minus your deductible).
• Comprehensive coverage will help you pay for repairs or a car replacement if your vehicle is totaled due to a flood, fire, hail, vandalism, or any other incident unrelated to vehicle collisions.

These policy options can be added to your insurance policy alongside liability coverage so that you’re protected and prepared in the case that your car is totaled.

Can I Sell A Car If Insurance Doesn’t Cover The Damage?

When you only have liability insurance, your insurance company will not pay for the repairs of your vehicle, especially if it is totaled.  

In this scenario, your insurer would declare your car a “total loss”, meaning that the estimated cost of repairs exceeds its value. Then, they would take your car and sell it at an auction or to a salvage yard.

However, you can get your back from your insurer and sell it yourself. By “buying” the car back from them, you can sell it to a company that will give you a great price for it.

When you ask to get your car back, your insurer will give you back your vehicle in addition to paying you the actual cash value of your car minus the salvage value and your deductible.

Note that you can’t buy back a totaled car in every state. Your insurance company will let you know what the laws are regarding buying a totaled car. For instance, you might not be allowed to buy back your totaled car unless it meets exclusion criteria.  

If you are able to buy back your totaled car, here’s how you can take advantage of its residual value.

At WeBuyTotaledCars, we purchase accident-damaged cars every day and are excited to buy yours. We offer fair, market value estimates no matter how damaged your car is.

Here’s how to sell your totaled car with WeBuyTotaledCars:

1. Input your vehicle details in our calculator.
2. Wait less than two minutes for us to generate your offer.
3. Accept our offer.
4. Schedule a tow truck to come in the next 24-48 hours.
5. Collect your check!