What total loss and diminished value actually mean, what you can recover where you live, and how to get the number right. Insurance companies set the first figure. It's almost never the correct one.
Answer a few questions. We'll show you what claims you likely have, what's recoverable in your state, and what to do next.
Your state controls what's recoverable, especially diminished value. Georgia is the only state where you can claim DV from your own insurer, even if you were at fault.
Collision involves another vehicle and a question of fault. Comprehensive, theft, and vandalism are non-collision losses paid through your own coverage.
Fault decides who you pursue: the other driver's insurer (third party) or your own (first party).
A totaled car is a Total Loss (ACV) claim. A repaired car can carry a Diminished Value claim. A questionable estimate is a repair dispute.
Full coverage (collision and comprehensive) determines whether you also have a first-party path through your own insurer.
Start Here — The Basics
Key terms in plain English
Before anything else, know the vocabulary. These terms come up in almost every property damage claim. Get them straight and the rest of this guide makes sense.
Total Loss
The insurer decided your car isn't worth repairing, so instead of fixing it they pay you its value and take the vehicle. This happens when repair cost plus salvage value crosses the carrier's threshold against what the car is worth.
Actual Cash Value (ACV)
What your car would have sold for the moment before the loss, in its pre-accident condition. This is the dollar figure owed on a total loss. The insurer's first ACV number is usually low.
Diminished Value (DV)
The resale value your car loses simply because it now has accident history, even after a flawless repair. A buyer pays less, a dealer offers less. That gap is real money you're owed.
Appraisal Clause
A clause built into most auto policies that settles a dispute over the dollar amount of a loss without a lawsuit. Each side hires an appraiser; if they disagree, a neutral umpire decides.
Loss of Use / Rental
Compensation for the time you're without a car while the claim is resolved, paid either as a rental car or as a daily loss-of-use rate. It's owed on top of the vehicle's value, but rarely offered up front.
USPAP
The professional standards a credible appraisal follows. A USPAP-compliant report is what makes your number defensible when you push back on the carrier.
Not sure what your claim is worth?
Most drivers leave money on the table because they trust the first number. We don't. Appraisal Engine reviews your property damage claim at no charge and tells you straight: whether there's a real claim, what type it is, and what it's actually worth.
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