Have you ever been in a car accident that resulted in your car being declared a "total loss" by insurance?

[Anonymous]

Feel free to describe the accident, how it made you feel, what lessons you learned, and whether or not you still miss your car.

Yes, I have been in a car accident that resulted in my car being declared a "total loss"...

No, I have never been in a car accident that resulted in my car being declared a "total loss"...

Other / see results

[Lliam]

In 1970, when I was 16, I was driving my car on a main residential street a few blocks from home. A friend was in the car and we were heading to his house. It was a four lane street with a double yellow line in the middle and cars parked next to the curbs.
I was in the far right lane when an oncoming car in the middle lane swerved across the double yellow line right at me. I thought we were going to have a head-on collision.

I was going 35 or 40 mph, so there was no way I could stop. So I swerved into a driveway where there was a break between cars parked next to the curb. I swerved back out but my right front bumper and fender caught the left rear of the Mustang that was parked next to the curb past the driveway opening.
It ripped the fender off of my '66 Rambler American.

A guy in his 20s was driving the car that came across the line and his father was in the car. It was their driveway that I swerved into and their Mustang that I hit.

They called the cops and told thems that it was my fault. They said they were just waiting for me to pass so that they could pull into their driveway.

Fortunately, two ladies in a car that had been following the guy had seen the whole thing and told the police that the guy had suddenly crossed the line right at me without even signaling.
The police and the insurance company determined that it was his fault.

[BCRanger10]

Yes, in 2017. On Christmas Eve. Half an hour from my uncle's house.

That was a great car, I loved that car.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't take much to total a car. If you're making a claim for $10,000 in repairs on a car that's only worth $15,000 they're going to total it. If you have a brand new car that cost $75,000 and there's any significant damage at all, a bent wheel or a crushed front-end, they're going to total it, because there's no way to ever get it back to brand new condition. That doesn't mean they don't sell it off for what they can get for it, and you're free to buy it back from them with the insurance money they paid you if you want.

This is different from a salvage car, which they've declared to be undriveable. If it's not sent off to the junkyard, whoever buys this from the insurance company will only be able to get a salvage title, and it can't be driven until it's repaired and inspected as safe (which most times it can't be).

If you are able to repair it and get it to pass, you'll then get a rebuilt title, you'll never be able to get a clean title on that car again. A lot of secondary dealers buy salvage cars for parts, especially if they're hard-to-find parts such as older Hondas, or classic cars.

[CriminallyInsane]

Yeah, some lady just made a left turn right in front of me for no reason I can possibly think of and hit the front corner of my car and destroyed it. Luckily she hit the corner and not my door or I doubt I'd have survived. Didn't care about the car at all.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Nope, interestingly enough despite how many accidents I’ve had in the car, I’ve never totaled one. Now, my brother on the other hand, he’s totaled at least 3 cars.

[exitseven]

no. I only have been in one accident. I was driving my wife's brand new Ford Country Squire station wagon. It had front end damage but we had it fixed

[Nikki1989]

I have only been in one car accident, but I was the passenger. I have never had an accident while driving myself.

[AngryCarl3]

Yes, I lost control on a greasy road, rolled the car and hit a tree. I was fine but the car didn't make it. It was a good lesson about driving in the rain, which I never forgot.

[Brady]

My parents were. A lady from a side street came out n ran into the sliding door of their van. We had 2 get rid of it n get anothr 1. The SUV we hav now has a bak up camera makin things easier.