There are several reasons a vehicle may be a total loss:

• Repairs may not be economically practical.
• It may not be possible to restore the vehicle to a safe, preaccident condition.
• State laws may require us to declare it a total loss.

In most states, you can keep your vehicle. But if you decide to keep it, we will deduct the salvage value of your vehicle from the settlement amount. The salvage value is what we expect to receive for selling your vehicle in its damaged condition. 

Depending on your state laws, you may be required to: 

• Have your vehicle title changed to indicate that your vehicle was a total loss.
• Go through a state vehicle inspection process. Some states may not allow you to reregister your vehicle.

Check with your local department of motor vehicles before you decide.
Contact the insurance department to see what coverages you'll still need to carry since your vehicle has been declared a total loss.

If you have rental reimbursement coverage on your automobile policy and are using a rental vehicle due to a total loss, refer to your automobile policy. Once your vehicle has been declared a total loss and you receive a total loss settlement offer, the rental is limited.

Before we finalize the settlement offer for your vehicle, you can review the detailed inspection report. Check to make sure everything is correct and there's nothing else we should consider.

If additional considerations are needed, select "Send a message" or "Upload documents" to notify your adjuster. Include any supporting documentation for your request.

USAA uses a vendor database tool known as CCC One to determine the amount of loss accurately. The CCC One database locates comparable vehicles recently offered for sale in your geographic area and makes adjustments based on the loss vehicle's mileage, condition and options.

You should contact your lender to determine if you have what's called either total loss protection or gap coverage.

If you do, your lender will pay the difference between the actual cash value of your vehicle and the loan balance. If you don't have this coverage with your loan, you will need to pay the difference between the settlement value and your loan balance.

Policyholders in Washington state might automatically have gap coverage. Your claims representative will let you know.

Here are action items that can help you move your claim forward:

• Remove your personal belongings from the vehicle. Don't forget any documents in your glove box.
• Remove the license plates from your vehicle if it's required by state law or your claims representative asks you to do so.
• Give the repair shop or towing service authorization to release your car, so we can move it to a secure storage facility. This can help you avoid paying daily storage fees those companies might charge. Don't worry, you aren't surrendering ownership of your car by allowing us to move it for you.
• Find your vehicle title. If your lender has your title, give them authorization to release it to us along with your loan payoff information.

Here's how we determine who gets the payment:

• If you own the vehicle, we'll pay you directly.
• If you're making payments to a finance company that's listed on your policy or title, we'll pay them first.
• If there's money left after we pay your finance company, we'll send it to you.
• If there's not enough money to cover your loan, you'll be responsible for paying off the balance.
• If you have gap insurance, it may cover your loan balance. Gap coverage helps free you from having to pay the difference between your outstanding debt and your insurance settlement. At USAA, it's called total loss protection.
• If you're leasing your vehicle, we'll pay the lease company directly.