What To Do with Your Wrecked Car

If you’ve just been in a car accident, one of the toughest thoughts on your mind will likely be what you should do with your wrecked vehicle. In many cases, the wreck will probably be minor enough that you will be able to drive away from the scene. But what if the accident leaves your car unable to safely make it home? It may seem best to just let the tow truck haul it away, but that’s not your only option. Sid you know you may be able sell a wrecked? If you own your car, then be sure to keep in mind that you have full control over what happens to it after an accident. What you do end up doing depends on a lot of factors like what your insurance coverage is like and how extensive the vehicle damage is. Here are some tips to help you out in any auto collision situation.

When Your Car is Still Drivable

The vast majority of reported car accidents in the United States are minor fender benders, usually involving rear-end collisions that cause minor bumper damage to the vehicles involved. If this happens to you, you will most likely be able to drive your car away from the accident scene and eventually get it to your local body shop for repairs. This is usually the best option, especially if your repairs will be covered by your or the other driver’s insurance. If the damage is minor enough, it may be a better option to pay for the repairs out-of-pocket rather than making a claim and risking your insurance premium increases. This may not be a choice, though, in more serious fender-benders. In some cases, the wreck may leave your car with a large amount of body damage—or even worse damage like a bent frame or broken tailgate. Even though you can still drive the car home, the cost of repairs you will eventually need to worry about could climb fairly high. It may make more sense for you to forget about fixing your car and instead trade it into a car dealership or sell it to a wrecked car buyer and put the value towards your next vehicle. This allows you to put any money you would have paid out of pocket on your broken vehicle to a nice, new car.

When the Damage is Severe

Some car accidents may leave your vehicle in such bad condition that not only will you be unable to drive it away, but it will be considered a total loss vehicle by insurance adjusters. If this is the case, you may not even have the option to repair it. Insurance companies will likely tell you the vehicle is cheaper to replace, and the out-of-pocket expense to pay for repairs would be higher than most people can afford. When your wrecked car is in this condition, there are a few options you have.

1. Replace your wrecked car

The easiest and most popular option is simply to take the check the insurance company offers you for the vehicle and turn it over to them. This amount will usually be the Kelly Blue Book value for your car, and it should be enough to cover most of the cost of buying an equivalent replacement. If you choose this option, the insurance company will haul your vehicle off and sell it in the salvage auto market where it will be recycled or rebuilt. There is also a free service, ReplaceMyCar, that helps people find a replacement car after a total-loss accident.

2. Sell your wrecked car

Another option you usually have is to keep the wrecked car and take a check from your insurance company for the Kelly Blue book value of the vehicle minus the salvage value. The amount you get will be a bit less than if you let them take away your car, but this way you have the opportunity to find your own, potentially better offer for your salvage auto. Calling 1-800-Cash-For-Junk-Cars is a great way to get a quote on your damaged car and help make sure you get the most you can for your wrecked vehicle.

3. Do it yourself!

If you don’t want to sell a wrecked car. Maybe you want to avoid dealing with insurance companies and estimates completely or maybe you just like a good hands-on project. Either way, repairing your car yourself can be a cheaper and more rewarding option in the long run. You don’t have to pay anyone for manual work hours, you can tackle the challenge of hunting around for parts and you can even rebuild it into something better than it was before. Whatever you decide to do after a car accident, you should keep in mind throughout the process that you have options. Car accidents aren’t fun or cheap for anyone, so making sure you have a good plan in place can make your accident a much easier and cost-efficient experience.