Guides
Know what the adjuster knows.
How valuation reports work, where they go wrong and what you can do about it. Sourced and dated.
Total loss
How to dispute a total loss valuation, step by step
Get the full valuation report, check every line, write a rebuttal with evidence, then use your state’s reopen window, the appraisal clause or a DOI complaint.
11 min read · Updated
The CCC valuation report explained, line by line
Every section of a CCC ONE total-loss valuation report: what each line means, where errors tend to hide, and how Mitchell and Audatex reports differ.
10 min read · Updated
Projected sold and typical negotiation adjustments: what they are and how to challenge them
How Mitchell's projected sold and Audatex's typical negotiation adjustments work, what courts and state rules say, and how to challenge them in writing.
10 min read · Updated
Condition adjustments on a total loss: how they lower your offer
How CCC condition ratings and the flat condition cut on every comparable lower a total-loss offer, the state rules that apply, and evidence that answers them.
11 min read · Updated
The appraisal clause for a totaled car: how it works and when it is worth it
How the auto appraisal clause works on a totaled car: your appraiser, theirs and an umpire, costs, timelines, first-party limits, and when it pays off.
11 min read · Updated
Diminished value
How to file a diminished value claim after an accident
How to file a diminished value claim: who to claim against, evidence that holds up, a number you can defend, the demand letter, small claims and deadlines.
12 min read · Updated
Diminished value demand letter template, paragraph by paragraph
A free diminished value demand letter template with every paragraph explained: what to fill in, what evidence to attach, how to send it and how to follow up.
9 min read · Updated
The 17c formula: how insurers calculate diminished value, and why it comes up short
How the 17c diminished value formula works: every damage and mileage multiplier, worked examples, where it came from, why it runs low and what to use instead.
10 min read · Updated
Rules by state
Total loss threshold by state
When a damaged car counts as a total loss in each state, with the law behind each threshold.
Total loss sales tax by state
Whether a total-loss settlement must include sales tax and title and registration fees in each state.
Diminished value laws by state
Whether each state allows a diminished value claim against the at-fault driver's insurer or your own, with sources.
Total loss claim deadlines by state
Claim-handling time limits and the deadline to sue in each state.