[patrickt]

That's a real legal nightmare too. If I'm the adjuster for his carrier I'm going to call the car a total loss under the policy and pay him whatever his limit was (agreed value, or FMV) and then tell him he can buy the salvage back from the carrier if he wants (I'll try and give him a good deal)... but then he's got to pursue the state for any damages above what I paid him. I don't even know if you can sue a German safety inspector when he's within the scope of his duties. It's a huge, huge mess and he will not be made whole.