5 Mistakes Tennessee Drivers Make After a Total Loss (And How to Avoid Them) Getting the call that your car is a total loss is stressful enough. What makes it worse is that most drivers unknowingly make decisions in the first few days that cost them thousands of dollars. Here are the five most common mistakes we see — and what to do instead. Mistake #1: Signing the Release Right Away This is the big one. Your insurance company sends over a settlement offer and a release form,