What does ‘total loss’ mean for your car insurance?
If the cost of repairing your vehicle exceeds its actual cash value — that is, what it was worth immediately before the accident — your car will be considered a total loss.
June 17, 2021
4-minute read
Collisions happen all the time. In fact, in the time it takes you to read this article, it’s highly likely that somewhere in Canada, someone will crash their car.
Some of those collisions will be minor mishaps: a fender-bender while parallel parking, a rear-ender on a stop-and-start highway. But what happens when you get T-boned or drive your car into a ditch and your ride is beat up beyond recognition?
About the author
Luc Rinaldi is a journalist from Toronto. He’s currently senior editor of Pivot magazine, and his work has appeared in Maclean’s, The Walrus and Toronto Life. He once sang backup vocals for Rick Astley. Actually.
