Choosing A Body Shop: What To Look For

February 4, 2015Auto Accident, Auto Repair, Insurance Claims, Total Loss


how to pick a body shop

If you’ve been in an automobile collision, after the initial shock and if the vehicle is not a total loss, the first thing to do is to determine where to get repairs done and get the vehicle there.

Most people simply take their vehicle to a dealer facility or a body shop that is suggested by the insurance adjuster or company. Although there are always exceptions, dealer facilities and body shops that insurance carriers suggest are not normally on the top of my list for high quality repairs. I present to you a few insider tips and questions that you should be thinking of when you select a repair facility.

FIND OUT WHAT TO LOOK FOR

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

January 22, 2015Auto Accident, Diminished Value, Injury Claims, Insurance Claims

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.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ATTORNEYS AND PROPERTY DAMAGES

Breaking Story: Arizona Department of Insurance is Protecting Big Insurers at the Expense of Accident Victims!

January 15, 2015Arizona diminished value, Arizona Small Claims Court, Auto Accident, Auto Repair, Diminished Value, Insurance Claim Denial, Insurance Claims

Greed

EXPOSED!

The only way to remedy unethical and unfair behavior is to expose it to the entirety of victims that it affects in the hopes they will stand up to the bullies.  It is a shame that those in power seem to have a propensity to abuse it (crony capitalism anyone?).  To that end, I hope this article reaches many victims and their legal counsel, and that at least some of them take a stand with me and demand action from their representatives at the State.

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BIG Loopholes in Uninsured Motorist Claims Exposed

January 13, 2015Auto Accident, Diminished Value, Injury Claims, Liability, Total Loss, Uninsured Motorist

UM claims exposed

As a veteran adjuster and automobile damage claim litigation specialist, I have seen countless claims where the at fault party is unknown.

No problem if you have uninsured motorist coverage, right?

Wrong!

Click here to read the rest of the article and find out important facts you need to know about your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage that may make you shiver in your boots!

[ut_button color=”mid-blue” target=”_self” link=”https://diminishedvalueexpert.com/diminishedvalue/dvhottopics/loopholes-um-claims-exposed/” size=”medium” title=”UM CLAIMS” ]CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT UM CLAIMS[/ut_button]

Tow Trucks, Taxis, & Rentals, Oh My! Commercial Vehicle Claims

January 6, 2015Auto Accident, Diminished Value, Insurance Claim Denial, Insurance Claims, Small Claims, Total Loss

 How To Deal With A Diminished Value Claim Against A Commercial Vehicle Insurance Policy

During my auto claims career I have dealt with hundreds of claims that stemmed from the negligence of a commercial vehicle. In particular, three types of claims are most common: Claims involving rental vehicles, taxis, or small freight / towing truck companies. In most cases, if one of these commonly self-insured entities has caused you damage, then you’ll have a very difficult time recovering your damages.

Here’s an example of what you could run into . . .

Diminished value claims against commercial vehicle

I currently have a case on the books where my customer’s vehicle was damaged because a towing company failed to secure an item that was on the bed of a tow truck. The item fell off causing over $7K in damage and lost value to my client’s vehicle. The tow company’s risk manager told us that he would not pay for damages, and that my customer would have to sue. Then, he said if the customer won the suit, he still would simply never pay the judgment.

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What is a CCC report?

March 24, 2014Injury Claims, Insurance Claims, Total Loss

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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Real March Madness! Diminished value claim denial by an auto insurance carrier

March 19, 2014Auto Accident, Diminished Value, Insurance Claim Denial, Insurance Claims

Diminished Value Claim Denial!

So you’ve been doing all this research on diminished value, and you’ve figured out that the at fault party’s insurance company should pay you for the lost value your car has suffered, right?  The only problem is that you got a diminished value claim denial by the insurance company.  Although it may make you want to rip your hair out, don’t get discouraged! It is very common for insurance carriers to deny diminished value claims as a tactic to weed out those victims who will be frustrated enough to just give up on their claim.  They use this tactic because the sad fact is that most people DO give up.  You know why?  Forcing an insurance company to be fair is HARD!  Also, there is generally nobody to help accident victims with their small value property damage claims and insurance companies know it.  So where does that leave you?  Is there any hope of recovering your lost value?  Read on my friend, read on. . . . (more…)

California Diminished Value Claims

January 20, 2014Auto Accident, California Diminished Value, California Small Claims Court, Diminished Value, Insurance Claims, Small Claims

California diminished value

California Diminished Value Claims :

What You Need To Know

Throughout the country, individuals are realizing that they have a right to recover the inherent lost market value (diminished value) that occurs after a vehicle has been wrecked and repaired.

UPDATED JAN. 2016

There are only two states where case law does not support recovery of diminished value in a negligence cause of action.  California is not one of those states.  New case law in California is clear that it IS possible to recover for the diminished value of your vehicle if you are able to prove your loss. (more…)

Arizona Diminished Value Claims & Small Claims

January 15, 2014Arizona diminished value, Arizona Small Claims Court, Auto Accident, Auto Repair, Diminished Value, Insurance Claims, Small Claims

How to file Arizona Diminished Value Claims

diminished value claims in ArizonaFor Arizona diminished value claims, there is case law that is exactly on point. It is a case styled “Paul Oliver v. James Henry”.  A Google search will surely land you with a copy of the case, or you can request a copy directly from my office and we’ll send you the full case for free. That case law says that a vehicle owner can hire an expert appraiser to document the lost market value due to damages, and that an expert appraisal or testimony is sufficient evidence. This means that if you want to recover your Arizona diminished value claims, then the quality of your expert is really the thing that matters most.

Does that answer all your questions? I didn’t figure it did. Let’s break it down by the most frequently asked questions after learning that diminished value in Arizona is supported by law. (more…)

Diminished Value, It’s Just an Opinion

January 9, 2014Auto Accident, Diminished Value, Insurance Claims

diminished value opinion

One of the most common questions I get comes from customers who have been negotiating for the recovery of their lost market value and get told by an adjuster that the amount of inherent diminished value they want is only an opinion.  Faced with this argument, the customer wants to know what to say.

 A claims representative or adjuster that simply refuses to acknowledge lost value and pretends that there is no way to prove the loss is a common obstacle and a tactic that is successful when there is an uninformed accident victim.  Don’t buy it!  Get informed and read on. . . . (more…)