In your car insurance policy you will find a section referring to the insurance company’s rights after an event. After an event, such as an accident in which your car is written off, the insurance company has certain rights. The main right is that to subrogation which means that the insurance company becomes the owner of the salvage (the remains of your car) and can deal with it in any way it deems fit. For further details see the glossary entries on Subrogation and Salvage.