Auto Accidents – Critical Thinking

July 20, 2015By Justin Petty

What To Do After An Auto Accident

Advice on Dealing with an Auto Insurance Claim

Most of us will be involved in an auto accident within our lifetimes.

This means that we are likely to have a claim with an insurance company; either our own insurance company or someone else’s insurance company.

After over 17 years of experience in the field of insurance (most as a claims adjuster), I have come to realize that the majority of the public just doesn’t get it (the claims process, that is).

Additionally, I also believe that the majority of auto claims adjusters don’t get it.

When I first began to speak with people about insurance claims over 17 years ago, the problem was not so apparent, but as more attorneys and less experienced adjusters come on the market, claimants get fed a lot of misinformation.

Just search the internet for auto accident claims help or some similar string of search words and you will quickly become confused on how to best approach getting a fair settlement on your insurance claim.

In my own opinion, the best approach is the simplest approach. As the title of this article indicates, critical thinking is the key to a successful claim negotiation.

As an adjuster who has handled almost every type of claim imaginable, I will attempt to give some pointers on critical thinking that we should all remember when we are dealing with a claim, adjusters and claimants alike.

My Attorney Says They Don’t Do Property Damages?!

January 22, 2015By Justin Petty

attorneys and property damage

When dealing with another person’s insurance company for an accident, many attorneys will simply tell clients that they do not get involved with the property damage part of the claim and that includes diminished value and total loss settlements.

In fact, MOST injury attorneys practice this policy on third party cases.

Why do they say this?

Well, normally it’s because there is no way for the attorney to make any money handling the property damages AND make sure the victim gets all their property damage money.

Expert Answers – Fraud and Pre-Existing Damage Arguments

March 28, 2014By Jen Petty

EXPERT ANSWERS – Pre-existing Damage

Question:

expert answers

My friend crashed her car in a recent storm. She immediately filed a claim, however it took an adjuster 10 days to come look at her car! By this time the car had rusted in the damage area. They deemed it a total loss. Today she is dealing with an investigation. They are trying to hassle her about the damage saying because its rusty it appears to be pre-existing damage, when in fact it’s not. What should she do and why is her own insurer treating her so poorly like she’s a criminal? (more…)

What is a CCC report?

March 24, 2014By Justin Petty 15 Comments

Total Loss and the CCC Report

First off, I just want to say that we get a lot of calls from irate folks who think we are CCC because this article pops up high in searches for CCC. We have lots of funny interactions with accident victims where the conversation starts out with a full-on blow out argument! lol

Let’s be clear – we are not CCC! We are appraisers who help consumers when they get a low valuation from companies like CCC (there are others as well). Just wanted to get that out there to set the record straight since so many folks are finding this article useful (and to prevent screaming matches and the therapy sessions that then have to follow :)).

If your vehicle has been deemed a total loss, many insurance companies will rely on a company called CCC (that is not US lol) to provide a market evaluation on the value of your vehicle to act as a settlement tool.  CCC (Certified Collateral Corporation) Information Services Inc. is a company that provides vehicle value reports to insurance companies.  They utilize their own methods and develop a value for your vehicle that is supposed to be reflective of the actual cost of a replacement vehicle in the market where your vehicle would have been sold, had it not been totaled.

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Our NEW DIMINISHED VALUE WEBSITE! Thanks for your support!

March 9, 2014By Jen Petty

The NEW Petty Details Diminished Value website – https://diminishedvalueexpert.com!

We are proud to show off our hard work with the launch today of our new website (which you have obviously found if you are reading this.)

diminished value expert

We have made it a mission to make our resources easily available to provide the most people with free information about their diminished value, total loss claims and tons of other topics.

Find out:

  • How to make a diminished value demand
  • How much your diminished value claim is worth
  • If your total loss is worth fighting for
  • How much your injury might be worth
  • The small claims court process

We have compiled all of the free help we’ve given over the years here on our new website to make it easy for auto accident victims to find the answers they need to make an informed decision when dealing with their insurance claim.

We thank you for your support over the last 5 years and we are ready to give you more free information than ever to help get your diminished value and total loss claims resolved as painlessly as possible!  You won’t believe our customer service because we truly do focus on each individual claim and spend all the time it takes to answer your questions right up front to make sure you feel confident moving forward with our help.  We stay by your side throughout the process so you will never wonder who to call when you don’t know the next step.  Rely on Petty Details for the real expert help you need with your diminished value, total loss or small claims issues – our success rate is the highest because we don’t give up!

CHECK OUT OUR NEW SITE TODAY!

Browse around and let us know what you think and we can’t wait to hear your feedback!

Total Loss – Help Yourself on Automobile Total Losses

October 6, 2009By Justin Petty No Comments

total loss

I get a lot of questions about what the consumer can do to fight the insurance company when it comes to the value of their total loss.  Unfortunately, if you don’t have an adjuster’s license or some other credentials that qualify you to render an opinion on a vehicle’s value, then you are at the mercy of the insurance company.

All hope is not lost, though.

There are a few things you can do that may help you get a better settlement without spending another dime on your insurance claim.

Argue.

This may work if you make some valid arguments.  The insurance adjuster should be able to discern whether your arguments are valid or not and if they are valid, they should adjust the claim accordingly.  Make sure you have a copy of how they evaluated the value of your car and then look it over very carefully for any discrepancies in the mileage, options, or condition of your vehicle.  If there are no discrepancies, you will likely have a hard time arguing value because the value is an opinion of market worth that can only be certified by an insurance company or licensed and trained professional.

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