What does "totaled" mean when a car has been severly damaged by hail?

Many insurance companies will use a "benchmark" - mostly 70% or more of the cost to repair vs to total out the car. So if your $10,000 car costs ore than $7,000 to repair, they will total it out and pay you the book value of $10,000 less your deductible. If it is less than 70%, in most cases, they will then repair the car.