How a Total Loss Can Hurt Your Credit Score (And What to Do About It)
June 5, 2026
Your car gets totaled. The insurance company sends a settlement offer and you look at the number, frown, and wonder how they got there. Then
Licensed Appraiser
Your car gets totaled. The insurance company sends a settlement offer and you look at the number, frown, and wonder how they got there. Then
Most drivers don’t know what their property damage claim is actually worth until it’s too late to push back. Our free guide breaks down total loss, diminished value, and your state’s rules in plain English, with an interactive checker that tells you where you stand in about two minutes.
Mileage affects a diminished value claim, but the 17c formula uses it to eliminate payouts that real market data would support. Here is what drivers with high-mileage and low-mileage vehicles need to know before accepting an insurer’s number.