Filing Loss Claims After a Car Accident
Can I handle this claim myself?
Ready2Appraise.com will provide you with the diminished value or total loss appraisal and all necessary documents for your use in filing an auto loss claim. On Total Loss claims, we will work on your behalf by contacting the insurance company and negotiating a settlement under the Independent Appraiser's Rule.
The Independent Appraiser's Rule only applies to an insured's claim and not necessarily to a third party claim - see: Third Party Claims. If the Total Loss is being settled by YOUR insurance company, the road to recovery is considerably smoother. Your insurance company is bound by the terms of your contract (in this case, that's a good thing!) and will negotiate under the terms of the Independent Appraiser's rule in the policy.
Under the terms of the Independent Appraiser's rule, Ready2Appraise will negotiate on your behalf to settle a Total Loss, including one with a Prior Salvage Title. We will do all phone calling, letter writing, communicating with and pressuring your adjuster for a satisfactory settlement. We have done this hundreds of times before, and we know when we have reached a fair settlement.
If you are a third party claimant, the insurance company is not obligated to negotiate with us, but seldom, if ever, will they refuse to settle a claim backed up with a Certified Appraisal. It just isn't good "publicity" for them not to deal with us.
Diminished Value and Loss of Usage Claims are a different story all together. There are several states now recognizing Diminished Value Claims which, with our Certified Appraisal and proper documentation, are easy to settle. For those other states whose insurance laws don't recognize Diminished Value or Loss of Usage claims, recovery can be more difficult. Now might be the time to download our FREE e-Book, R2A's Guide to Loss Recovery. This handy download will explain some of the pitfalls which you might encounter and give you valuable insight into loss settlement.
Due to the often large settlements involved in Diminished Value claims and with Loss of Usage in particular, many of these cases won't be resolved quickly. We often run into cases where the combined losses could exceed $50,000! No insurance company will settle this size of a claim without a fight! At this point you are left with two rather distasteful choices: Go to court or walk away. We don't recommend the last choice and we can definitely help in the first choice. We handle these losses on a case by case basis. We will provide the necessary appraisal of your loss and prepare documents which are designed to have a positive impact in court. We don't offer legal advice, however we can refer you to legal staff which, depending on your location and case, will work with you to gain a settlement on your claim.