If someone else totals your car, the cost of damages will almost always be covered by your car’s insurance policy if you gave the driver permission to borrow the car. Your car insurance plan follows your vehicle, so even when someone else totals your car, your insurance is still the primary policy. If the driver of your vehicle was not at fault for the accident, it will be covered by the at-fault driver’s insurance.
What Happens If Someone Totals Your Car:
If the driver had permission to drive your vehicle and was at fault for the accident: Your insurance company is liable for your car’s actual cash value minus any deductible, assuming you have collision insurance. If the cost of repairs exceeds your coverage limits, the driver’s insurance will step in as secondary coverage.
If the driver had permission to drive your vehicle and was not at fault for the accident: In this case, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will be held liable. If the at-fault driver was uninsured, your uninsured motorist coverage should apply.
The driver did not have permission to drive the car: The driver’s insurance will most likely be used as the primary insurance and your coverage will be secondary. If the driver does not have insurance, you will have to use your own insurance coverage to pay.
If you excluded the driver from your insurance policy. Your coverage will not pay for the cost of repairs if the driver is at fault.
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