Hail, Salvage Retention & the Appraisal Clause

July 15, 2024By Jennifer Petty

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!

Tesla Battery Value Issues on Total Loss Disputes

May 15, 2023By Justin Petty No Comments

I recently wrote an article where I talked about this super important issue that I’ve had countless discussions about with Tesla owners. Trust me, it’s a topic that’s been making waves because of the parts availability on Teslas that is causing repair times to drag on and there’s a buzz going on with more and more auto manufacturers diving into the Electric Vehicle market.

One thing that really caught my attention is the value of the battery on a Tesla. I’ve seen this issue pop up time and time again, and it’s something I definitely think we should dig into.

If you’re interested or dealing with this, I hope you’ll check out the entire article where I go into detail about my thoughts and opinions on this matter. I genuinely believe it’s a hot topic that deserves some serious discussion. So, click the link below to give it a read, and let’s kickstart a real conversation about how we should be handling these claims.

Thanks for taking the time to dive into this with me!

What is the difference between an adjuster, an estimator and an appraiser?

January 17, 2020By Jennifer Petty 1 Comment

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.

Are you ready for some truth bombs?

Click here to read all about this topic and the problems that confusing the 3 postitions poses!

Diminished Value Claims – Income Tax Benefits

October 4, 2018By Justin Petty

Let me make this really clear up front: We are not tax professionals!

We do not give tax advice. We are simply pointing you to information to aid in your research when filing your taxes after taking a loss in value after an auto accident.

Did you know that casualty losses are deductible from your income taxes?

In Topic 515 on the IRS’s website, it discusses the types of losses that can be claimed on your income tax.

Diminished value is specifically listed!

Reservation of Rights – What is It?

October 3, 2018By Justin Petty

This is a hard subject to explain to a lot of people.

Let me start by saying that you need to understand what is in this article before you blow your top at some insurance adjuster. There are ways around a reservation of rights defense, but you have to be stealthy and, above all, you have to remain calm.

If you have found this article, you are either an insurance adjuster doing some research or you are involved in a claim and being advised that your claim is not being paid at this time and that they are putting the claim on a “reservation of rights”.

I’m going to speak on Texas and specifically on auto insurance as Texas is my home State and auto insurance is where I have the most experience, although the reservation of rights or its equivalent exists in almost every State in the U.S. and can come about on claims that are not automobile claims.

Arguments Against Diminished Value VERSUS The Truth

September 29, 2018By Justin Petty

Back in May, I saw a sad story about a filmmaker in South Africa that was killed by the head butt of a giraffe out in the bush while filming for a movie.

In my mind, I related that to how the giant insurance companies just throw around invalid denials to diminished value claims to shut down the claimant from figuring out how in the heck to fight, therefore making them give up.

Until they find us.

A while ago, I was provided with a pretty big list of arguments that attempted to show why diminished market value on automobiles is not real, or at least why it is never very much.

I am going to address each one, point by point so as to be very thorough.

Mind you, these arguments were made by a professional who evaluates the market of stigma losses on automobiles.

Actual Cash Value or Fair Market Value?

October 16, 2017By Justin Petty

I’ll bet that no one has explained to you what I am about to explain . . .

First of all, the terms Actual Cash Value (ACV) and/or Fair Market Value (FMV) are sorely lacking and ambiguous when it comes to actually helping to define the value of a private passenger automobile. 

In fact, the formal definition in almost every source one can find leaves out the MAIN ASPECT that would make the definition useful. 

The terms ACV and FMV are so ambiguous that they are totally meaningless when it comes to figuring out the value of your vehicle.

Don’t believe me, let’s break it down. 

Start with familiarizing yourself with the “formal” definitions.

Auto Accident – Do You Need an Attorney?

May 11, 2016By Justin Petty

Do you need an attorney for your auto accident?

Answer the question for yourself!

Let me start by saying that some people never need an attorney, and others will always need an attorney.

Additionally, this article is based on my 15 years of claims adjusting experience. I have developed a simple little formula that will help you decide if you need an attorney or not. Keep in mind, this quiz is tailored for auto accidents only, and I make no warranties or guarantees that your result is a foolproof answer.

Ultimately, the only person that can decide if you need an attorney is you.

With that being said, simply answer the following 15 questions and then add up your answers. All of these questions are yes or no questions. Whatever answer you have the most of is your answer to the title of this article.

Total Loss Settlement Tips

January 4, 2016By Justin Petty

The Petty Details of Total Losses

What should you do when you are dealing with a total loss?  

We get so many questions every day from people involved in an accident where their vehicle was totaled and they are now getting a low offer from the insurance company and just don’t know what to do next.  

We always tell them that it is always a negotiation and that they have to fight and prove their points with the information we are revealing below today!  

We put together some total loss settlement tips to get you moving in the right direction on your auto claim.

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…)