Katherine reached out to us after her daughter’s 2020 Mazda CX-5 got totaled by a hail storm. Once she got an offer from her insurance carrier Travelers, she did her research and felt the offer was very low.
She reached out to us for a free claim review and we agreed that it seemed like her vehicle should be worth around $21K when compared to the market.
Her offer was $15.9K before taxes and, after the appraisal clause process, she was awarded $20.7K for the value of her vehicle. This happens over and over again for our customers and you could be next if your claim is worth it.
Reach out today if you’re dealing with a total loss and see if you’re leaving money on the table!
With storm season raging on in Texas and the surrounding states, many people are dealing with not only damage to their homes but also major damage on their vehicles.
If your car was totaled due to hail or other storm damage, let us run the numbers when you get your offer to see if you’re getting a fair value – we do that for FREE so you have nothing to lose! If you’re being lowballed by a CCC report or some other computer generated valuation, you can fight with the Appraisal Clause to get a fair value for your vehicle and it makes a world of difference.
With the Appraisal Clause, you can also dispute the repair amount if the shop and the carrier disagree on what the repair should entail. Keep in mind that State Farm in Texas has removed the Appraisal Clause language out of their contracts for repair dispute so they’re the only carrier where you can’t use that dispute resolution so you’re at their mercy when it comes to repair if you have a policy with them and that is actively being fought about in front of legislation under HB.
Need a good shop in DFW? Request a free claim consultation and we’ll review your case and help you make great choices from the very beginning of your claim.
Reach out today if you’re dealing with storm damage on your vehicle and aren’t sure how to get help and we’ll tell you the truth!
Our customer was tenacious and it paid off with a diminished value judgment!
Sometimes after helping a customer, the satisfaction is quite delayed due to the timing of the process. Our customer Mark from California reached out after an auto accident in L.A. County for help appraising his diminished value on his 2022 Volvo XC90. His claim came in right around $7500 so he purchased an appraisal and made his demand.
After getting a full denial from Kemper Insurance, he wasted no time in filing a suit in the Superior Court of California – County of Los Angeles to recoup his damages. To support his appraisal, Justin testified remotely as to the diminished value damages. We got word from the owner that he won his case recently and has finally wrapped up his collection efforts. Read his update below after my check-in!
“I ended up getting everything I was owed.
Thanks to Justin, I got the full judgment in small claims court. The insurance company paid out the max for the policy of the defendant, which was only about half of the judgement. Then I had the DMV intervene to force payment from the defendant. He paid me via a payment plan that completed last month.
I’m still astonished it all went my way. I’m so grateful to you both!”
If you need help with your diminished value, loss of use or total loss, reach out and we can help you too!
It seems like every other call or request we got this past two months has been a hail damage total loss claim or someone with a total loss that wanted to keep the wrecked vehicle. There are a lot of issues that come along with keeping the wrecked vehicle aka salvage and the first one may be with your very own carrier.
In our latest post, Justin discusses the issues our clients have dealt with when trying to retain their salvage.
Hail, Salvage Retention & the Appraisal Clause
After a vehicle crash or a damaging storm, if your insurance company deems your vehicle a total loss and makes you an offer to settle the value which you believe is low, you generally have the ability to use the appraisal provision of your policy to resolve the disputed value.
In its simplest form, the clause says that both you and your insurance company have to hire your own appraisers and agree to let the appraisers decide the value. This remedy to a low total loss settlement offer is also known as invoking the “appraisal clause”, or in some instances invoking the “right to appraisal”. It is a great way to resolve most disputed (first party) total loss settlements.
So that’s seems pretty straightforward, right?
If you disagree with your insurance carrier as to the settlement amount, you can invoke the appraisal clause to resolve the issue. You’d be right, it is pretty straightforward, but ONLY if you don’t want to keep and repair (or not if hail) your totaled vehicle, also known as retaining the salvage.
If you have the right to and elect to retain your total loss vehicle, then the insurance company will deduct from your settlement the salvage value of your vehicle. It should be as simple as that but things can get sticky fast.
Click below to read more of Justin’s in depth discussion on issues you may run into when trying to retain your salvage!
What is the difference between an adjuster, an estimator and an appraiser?
This is a commonly confusing topic that Justin constantly has to clarify for people inside and outside of the insurance industry.
You would think it would be fairly simple to distinguish the difference but the insurance industry blurs the lines on this topic and fails to train their employees on the very important difference between these three positions.
Justin is setting the record straight today in an article he previously published on LinkedIn that we thought was worthy of posting here again on our site.
Randy & Sue have a 2008 Lexus GS 350 that had $8500 in damages and was close to being totaled. They had no idea that they were owed money on TOP of the damages the other driver caused!
Thankfully, they knew an awesome body shop that they had used for years and multiple auto repairs and that awesome body shop knew how we helped on Diminished Value claims.
After getting our info, they signed up for a free claim consultation and got our help with an appraisal and our expert guidance through the process.
Randy & Sue fought for their diminished value loss and ended up settling for $2500!
Dear Ron (Shop owner),
First of all, thank you so much for the years of support and your extraordinary magic with our vehicle mishaps! You and your staff are “Awesome”!
When Sue picked up her GS 350 from the rear-end encounter, the quality work was superb, as always! Not to mention, you are a pleasure to do business with from every perspective, complimented by our insurance company as well.
We also would like to extend our sincere appreciation for introducing us to Justin Petty, an amazing Diminished Value expert who is very supportive.
With Justin’s guidance, we were able to obtain an equitable DV settlement from a very difficult insurance company! Another example of your pursuit of perfection and genuine concern for your customers’ welfare. We would have never known!!!
God Bless you and yours! – Randy & Sue
Lots of insurance companies will make up stories on why you aren’t owed diminished value….don’t listen to the naysayers! Talk to a REAL expert in this very niche field and get the truth you’ve been searching for.
If you’ve been in an auto accident that wasn’t your fault and YOUR awesome body shop doesn’t know the great work we’re doing, make sure to talk about the Petty Details of Diminished Value and how we can help!
Want to know if your diminished value claim is worth it?
Do you work at an awesome body shop and want to know more about our spectacular services?
Fill out the form below for a FREE consultation and find out how we can help YOU today!
Yulian G. lives in California 🌴 and has a 2016 Subaru WRX that sustained over $17K in damages.
He works at Yosemite National Park and, while he fought the wildfires, he was also fighting Mercury Insurance with a Diminished Value Appraisal from Petty Details to get his $7K auto claim paid. Guess what? He got it PAID IN FULL!
Hear straight from our raving fan – his email is below!
“Mercury Insurance sent me a settlement check in which the amount from your appraisal was included and paid in full!
I wanted you to know that, despite the complexity of this case, your services were ON POINT and you guys provided excellent customer service and expertise! I’m so glad that I listened to your advice!
Again, thank you so very much for your understanding, expertise, customer satisfaction and empathy. You’re a rare occasion in the business field today. I’ll make sure to highly recommend your business every chance I get! Come visit Yosemite anytime!”
Yulian G.
Want to be our next California diminished value success story?
Fill out the form below to get a FREE diminished value claim consultation today!
Are you dealing with a low offer on a total loss claim through your own insurance company?
So was Michael! His brand new 2018 Tesla Model S had less than 6K miles on it and a purchase price of $90K – he was offered $67,000….😡
He invoked the Appraisal Clause and hired Petty Details to be his appraiser on his dispute. After quite a battle, our experts got his total loss claim settled at $80,000.
Many accident victims and attorneys deal with these total losses and don’t know where to turn to find out how to fight for the value of their vehicle.
Want our expert opinion on your total loss?
If you’re dealing with a total loss claim with your own insurance company & want us to review it to find out our opinion, visit our website today & request a FREE claim consultation!
Tom lives in Oklahoma and had a 2017 Mazda Mazda3 Grand Touring with $12,400 in damages. He got our expert help with a diminished value auto appraisal and settled his auto claim for $3750!
Help from Petty Details is the real deal – whether you’re an accident victim, attorney or paralegal from a law firm, an adjuster, or a body shop, you and your clients can get help from the pro’s at Petty Details on your diminished value claim!
Want a FREE claim consultation?
Fill out the form below to find out if you could be our next success story….
