Newsroom
Press & media resources
Resources for journalists covering total-loss auto insurance claims, the appraisal clause, and vehicle-valuation disputes. We respond to working-press inquiries within one business day — same-day for deadline requests.
Fast facts
SecondAppraisal Inc. (secondappraisal.com) is an independent vehicle-appraisal firm that helps insurance policyholders challenge undervalued total-loss settlements using the appraisal clause in their own policies, pairing experienced vehicle appraisers with AI-assisted market research to document what a totaled vehicle was actually worth.
- $3,260Average increase over the insurer's initial offer across completed cases
- $1,000Minimum additional settlement value guaranteed — or the customer pays nothing
- 2010Roots: successor to KEH Consultants LLC, in vehicle appraisal since 2010
- 2Sides of the table: our lead appraiser has worked carrier-side and policyholder-side
What we can offer your story
Expert commentary
Plain-English explanation of how insurers value totaled vehicles, why first offers run low, how the appraisal clause works, and what policyholders can do about it — from an appraiser who has worked both the carrier side and the policyholder side.
Proprietary claims data
Aggregate settlement statistics from real total-loss disputes: the insurer's first offer, the independent appraisal, and the final settlement. Available as citable statistics with methodology notes for data-driven stories.
Case documentation
For stories about specific carrier practices, we can provide timestamped correspondence and policy language from real claims (with the policyholder's written consent and personal details redacted).
Story angles we can speak to
- Why insurers' first total-loss offers run thousands below market — and the contract clause most policyholders never use
- Umpire fees and new appraisal preconditions: how carriers are adding friction to a standard policy right
- What AI-assisted market research reveals about how totaled vehicles are actually priced
- State-by-state differences in total-loss appraisal rights
Spokespeople
Jonathon Thomas
Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer
MSF, CPCU, AIDA
Jonathon brings over 13 years of insurance-claims experience spanning total-loss evaluation, damages analysis, and settlement negotiation, including roles at Crawford & Company, Eberl Claims Service, and Auto-Owners Insurance — and approximately five years as a State Farm independent appraiser before co-founding SecondAppraisal. He holds a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Oklahoma and the CPCU and AIDA designations. He can speak to appraisal-clause practice from both the carrier side and the policyholder side.
LinkedIn profileKen Davis
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer
Founder of TaskEasy and Oakley Networks
Ken is a serial technology entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience founding, scaling, and exiting companies, including TaskEasy (acquired by WorkWave) and cybersecurity firm Oakley Networks (acquired by Raytheon). At SecondAppraisal he leads the AI-assisted market-research technology behind the firm's vehicle valuations, and speaks to the data side of how totaled vehicles are priced.
LinkedIn profileBrand assets
Logos are provided for editorial use in coverage of SecondAppraisal. Please don't alter the marks or imply endorsement.
Media inquiries
Email press@secondappraisal.com with your outlet and deadline. For background on how the appraisal process works, see our FAQ and guides.