Writing Insurance Claim Dispute Letters

October 14, 2013Auto Repair, Diminished Value, Injury Claims, Insurance Claims, Total Loss

dispute letters
If you’ve found this information, then you’ve probably been involved in an auto accident of some sort and you are seeking recovery for property damages you have incurred.  It is not uncommon to have a dispute with the insurance company over your claim.

Disputes most commonly occur over the dollar value a claim is worth.  For the purposes of this excerpt, I will address the article’s title and focus on helping you get words down on paper (or computer screen).

This is a difficult topic to quickly and sufficiently cover, but we’ll give it a shot by focusing on general guidelines and common tactics for most insurance claims.  We’ll assume that you have sufficient language and grammatical skills to compose a demand letter that doesn’t contain glaring mistakes. (more…)

Salvage Vehicles, Total Losses, Rebuilt / Salvage Titles & Diminished Value

May 23, 2013Diminished Value, Insurance Claims, Total Loss

Salvage Vehicles, Total Losses, Rebuilt / Salvage Titles & Diminished Value

In every claim I have ever handled where the vehicle was a total loss and had a salvage / rebuilt title, I was instructed to deduct 50% of it’s pre-accident value to account for the salvage / rebuilt status.  Also, when I was handling claims for insurance companies, I was routinely told that diminished value did not exist and to simply deny paying for it.

If asked, the main reason for denial was because it was a “stigma” claim, for which we did not legally owe (which was a lie).  The next best denial reason was that unless the vehicle sold for a loss due to the repair history, the claim was “unrealized” and there was no claim (also a lie).

Just think about that for a minute if you’re an adjuster.  Are you not instructed to deduct 40 – 60 % of the value on a total loss settlement if the vehicle had a salvage or rebuilt title?  And are you not instructed to refuse to pay diminished value on vehicles that are repairable?  Do you know the law about the matter?  I do.

The fact of the matter is that in most cases, if a vehicle has any substantial value, then if damaged and repaired, it will suffer lost market value due to stigma.  If your damages were due to another person’s negligence, then their liability insurance company will ultimately have to settle the claim for them if you sue the person.

How is stigma loss documented and how do you sue?

Information is always free at Petty Details, LLC!

Total Loss – Help Yourself on Automobile Total Losses

October 6, 2009Insurance Claims, Total Loss

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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Free Help

August 28, 2009Diminished Value, Injury Claims, Insurance Claims, Small Claims, Subrogation, Total Loss

Why is it that people can’t do a little research on their own? Resources like my website and many others are out there to help people with almost any problem. Laziness is not a virtue, hehe.

Get a free consultation today on your claim and get the answers you have been searching for!