Total-loss guides
Long-form, plain-language guides to the most important parts of a total-loss claim — written by the same people who handle the negotiations.
Both diminished-value and total-loss claims involve insurance valuation disputes — but they apply in different scenarios and follow different rules.
Filing against your own insurance vs. the at-fault driver's insurance changes your rights, your timeline, and your leverage. Here's how to decide.
Typical timelines for total-loss settlements, from accident to check-in-hand, including disputed cases and appraisal-clause invocations.
Step-by-step playbook for negotiating a fair total-loss settlement — from the first phone call to invoking the appraisal clause.
A line-by-line walkthrough of the CCC ONE total-loss report — what each section means, where the adjustments hide, and how to challenge them.
A walkthrough of the Mitchell WorkCenter total-loss report — how its layout differs from CCC ONE, where the adjustments hide, and how to challenge them.
Walkthrough of the Audatex Autosource total-loss report — its compressed format, where adjustments hide, and how to challenge it effectively.
Five fast checks that reveal whether your insurance company's total-loss offer is fair — or whether you're being lowballed.
Many states require insurers to reimburse sales tax, registration, and title fees on total-loss settlements. Know your state's rules.
Owner retention lets you keep your totaled vehicle for a reduced settlement. Here's when it makes sense and when it doesn't.
Most US auto policies contain an Appraisal Clause that lets you force a binding independent valuation when you disagree with your insurer. Here's how it works and when to invoke it.
When a leased or financed vehicle is totaled, the settlement goes to the lender — and you may still owe the gap. Here's how GAP insurance works and how to maximize your payout.
Your options when the insurance company's total-loss offer is unfair — from polite negotiation to formal complaints to binding appraisal.
Step-by-step guide to navigating a total-loss insurance claim — what to do in the first 24 hours, how to evaluate the offer, and how to negotiate a fair settlement.
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A short, plain-language guide to the most important moves after your insurance company declares your vehicle a total loss. Free, no obligation.
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