I drive an '06 Civic Coupe DX-G. I was stationary, behind a car waiting to turn left, when i got rear-ended by a suzuki going 80km. As a result, my rear bumper is off entirely, the front hood has creased, there is evidence of crumpling on the side panels, all lights are shattered, and there appears to be frame damage at the rear end. The other driver was charged, so her insurance co is picking up the tab. I"m currently waiting to hear whether it will be a total loss or not. I LOVE my car, but I really dont' know if i'd feel safe driving a frankenstein re-built car, if it isn't a loss.

Does anyone happen to know my options? Can the other insurance company buy me out? I'm currently financing my car and have about $12k remaining on the vehicle.

Any advice would be very much appreciated...thanks.

 

Insurance money goes thru your finance company first. If it's not totaled they may insist you repair it. If it is totaled they will apply it to pay off the loan and either refund you the excess or charge you the difference, which you would likely have to pay immediately instead of in payments.

What to do now would be to research the actual cash value of your car. This is what they should pay you when it's totaled. It's the amount to buy a used car that's exactly like yours was the moment before the crash. Know this amount so you can demand a fair offer. If you're not claiming an injury you can usually ask for more and get pretty good settlement for your property damage.

 

chances are because its a new car it wont be totaled so you may have to stick with it. safety wouldn't be an issue unless the airbags went off then yes i would be worried about driving it too. but if its just cosmetic replacements then i wouldn't worry too much. what about the frame though, any problems with that?