Skip to main content

Paying for a Totaled Car

If you ever experience the misfortune of being involved in an automobile accident in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, your auto insurance company may determine that your car has been "totaled"-the cost of repairs exceeds a certain threshold of what your car's fair market value (FMV) was prior to the accident. This point of no return differs from company to company, but a typical benchmark is 80 percent. If your car's FMV is $10,000.00 and your repairs are under $8,000.00, the insurance company will pay for repairs. If repairs amount to $8,000.00 or more, your car will be deemed totaled and you will be issued a check for the FMV of your car.


Hopefully the check you receive will equal or exceed the amount you may possibly owe to any money-lending institution. However, certain circumstances may result in your check being for less than that amount. In this scenario, guess who's legally obligated to pay the difference- you are. If you have gap insurance (which covers the "gap" between what you receive and what you owe), problem solved. But that is a preventive measure, not a post-accident solution.


Most insurance companies are willing to negotiate the amount of compensation you'll receive for your totaled vehicle. Do your homework to make sure the FMV of your car as stated by the insurance company is accurate.


If another driver is at fault for the accident, you can file a third-party claim with the other driver's insurance company to make up the difference on what you owe.


Your other option is to hire an experienced auto accident attorney. He or she can negotiate for you, file any claims, and guide you through the process to ease your burden and protect your rights.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Questioned by the Police? - Don't Forget Your Rights

One of the special things about our country's criminal justice system is that if you are suspected or accused of committing a crime, you have certain fundamental rights. Unfortunately though, many people aren't aware of their rights, or, in the head of the moment, they forget about those rights. For instance, citizens who find themselves being questioned and in police custody may not even be aware that they have a basic fundamental right to have an attorney present any time they are being questioned by any branch of law enforcement. Truth is, having an attorney present if you are being quested is vitally important. Why is that? For one thing, an experienced criminal defense attorney can help you from incriminating yourself, can make sure that you don't answer questions that are designed to trick you, and can keep officers from asking the same question over and over again. Bottom line - having a criminal defense attorney on your side can help make sure that you don&#

Your Rights When You're Pulled Over for a Supected DUI

Fact is, most people don't even know their rights if they're pulled over! Here's a quick list of the most important rights you need to know and how the conversation may go if you are pulled over: "Do you know why I pulled you over?" It's typically the first thing you'll hear. It's also deliberately designed to get you to admit to certain behavior. Be polite and simply ask, "Why do you ask?" and then wait for a response. Do not comment. That phrase "anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law" is truer than you'll ever know, trust us. "Have you had anything to drink tonight? " If you truthfully have had nothing to drink that night, say, "No." If you've had something to drink, you don't have to share that information! Telling the officer that you've been drinking will be evidence used against you. Instead, say, "I have no statement to make." While it may seem u

Full Custody, Joint Custody, and Sole Custody - What You Need to Know

We figured it might be helpful to produce a short article that summarizes the key differences among different types of custody. Full custody: this means that one parent is granted the majority of custody time and legal rights for the child. Joint custody: in this situation, the parents can split the physical custody of the child, and then have just one of the parents handle the legal custody (and, as a result, make any major decisions on behalf of the child). More common is to have parents share legal custody and then have one parent awarded physical custody. True joint custody arrangements, in which parents share both physical and legal custody equally, tend to be rare because of the logistical and personal issues involved (scheduling, added stress, disruption of the child's routine, costs, etc.) Sole custody: this means that one parent is awarded full legal and physical custody. These arrangements are rare, and are typically only set up if one parent is deemed unfit or wh