What we are
Fairmark is self-help software. It reads your insurer's valuation report or the details you enter, checks them against published rules and market data, and prepares letters and checklists. You review everything, decide what to send and send it yourself.
What we are not
- Not a law firm. We do not give legal advice, and using the site does not make us your lawyer.
- Not an insurer or insurance agent. We do not sell insurance or decide claims.
- Not a public adjuster. We do not negotiate with your insurer, adjust your claim or act for you in any way. The software produces draft documents from your own inputs; you review, edit and send them yourself.
- Not a licensed appraiser. Our figures are estimates, not appraisals, and we cannot serve as your appraiser under an appraisal clause.
We never contact your insurer, we never take a percentage of your settlement and we do not sell your details to lawyers or anyone else.
Our estimates
Every dollar figure we show is an estimate. That includes the possible gap in a total-loss offer, a diminished value range and the listings in a market scan. Estimates rest on the numbers you give us, public information and our methodology. They can be wrong when an input is wrong, when a market moves or when your car has features we cannot see.
An estimate is not a promise. An insurer may reject any point we raise, and an appraiser or court may reach a different number. Results differ from claim to claim.
State law information
Our state guides summarize statutes, regulations, agency guidance and court decisions. Each guide cites its sources and shows the date our dataset was last updated. The dataset does not yet cover every state, and it has not had an independent legal review. Rules change, and the same rule can be read in more than one way. Where we could not fully confirm a point, we say so.
Treat state information as a starting point, not the final word. Confirm anything you rely on with your state Department of Insurance or an attorney licensed in your state.
Trademarks
CCC, CCC ONE, Mitchell, WorkCenter, Audatex, Autosource, Solera, J.D. Power and the names of insurance companies mentioned on this site are trademarks of their owners. We use them only to describe the reports and companies our tools work with. Fairmark is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them.
When to talk to an attorney or a licensed appraiser
A self-help kit fits many claims. Some need a professional. Consider talking to one if:
- The amount in dispute is large enough that paying a professional makes sense.
- Anyone was injured in the accident. Injury claims raise issues our kits do not cover.
- The insurer may be acting in bad faith, for example by ignoring your letters, refusing to explain its valuation, missing deadlines without reason or pressuring you to sign a release.
- A deadline is close, such as a policy deadline to demand appraisal or the time limit to file a lawsuit.
- A lawsuit has been filed or you have been served with legal papers.
- Your claim was denied, or the insurer says your policy does not cover the loss.
Your state or local bar association can usually refer you to an attorney. If you invoke the appraisal clause, you will need your own independent appraiser; some states license auto appraisers, so ask your Department of Insurance what applies to you.
More detail
The full rules for using the site are in our terms of service. How we handle your information is in our privacy policy.