How is the value of my car handled separately?

The vehicle claim and the injury claim are separate. Settling the property damage does not settle the injury claim — provided the release is limited to property damage.

That caveat is the whole risk. Read what you're signing. A release worded broadly enough to cover all claims can inadvertently end the injury claim for the price of a bumper. If the document isn't clearly limited to property damage, don't sign it.

How the claim works. If repairable, the insurer pays repair costs. If a total loss, it pays actual cash value — what the vehicle was worth immediately before the crash, not what you owe and not replacement cost.

If you owe more than it's worth, the gap is yours unless you carry gap coverage.

You can dispute the valuation with comparable listings, service records, and evidence of recent work or low mileage.

Your own collision coverage can pay faster, subject to your deductible, which is then pursued from the at-fault insurer.