Total lossUnited States
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296. Total loss
A total loss occurs when a damaged vehicle is considered unsuitable or uneconomical to repair. A vehicle may be declared an economic total loss when the cost of repair is too high compared with its value, or a technical total loss when the damage makes safe restoration impossible or subject to special requirements. An automotive expert or insurer normally assesses the damage, repair cost, vehicle value and salvage value. The exact definition, compensation and rules for repairing or disposing of a total-loss vehicle vary between countries and insurance policies.
Wikimedia.org • Mark Taylor • CC BY
What is a total loss?
A total loss means that a damaged vehicle is considered unsuitable or uneconomical to repair because of the extent of the damage, repair cost or applicable technical requirements.
🔗 wikifin.be • Belgian FSMA Wikifin, repair cost, actual/salvage value and total loss
🔗 gov.uk • GOV.UK, insurance write-off categories; British example
What is an economic total loss?
An economic total loss occurs when repairing the vehicle is no longer financially reasonable compared with its value and, where applicable, its remaining salvage value.
🔗 wikifin.be • Belgian FSMA Wikifin, repair cost, actual/salvage value and total loss
🔗 gov.uk • GOV.UK, insurance write-off categories; British example
What is a technical total loss?
Technical total loss commonly describes a vehicle that cannot be safely repaired or restored to a roadworthy condition, rather than one that is simply uneconomical to repair. Legal write-off categories differ; some vehicles must be destroyed and cannot return to road use.
🔗 wikifin.be • Belgian FSMA Wikifin, repair cost, actual/salvage value and total loss
🔗 gov.uk • GOV.UK, insurance write-off categories; British example

Traffic rules
United States