Many claimants ask us this question. The answer is No.
It has been our experience that most insurance companies will use 17c to calculate Diminished Value. This formula is not fair nor accurate.
Since we can predict the insurance company’s offer to be low, why wait for it?
Scenario #1: You have a 2 year old car, the damage amount is $6,200, you call the insurance company asking for Diminished Value, they use 17c and offer you $220. You say NO, this is not enough, they ask you to get an appraisal, you hire us, we tell you it’s $2,100, since it’s a negotiation process, you are basically trying to work them up from $220 to $2,100.
Scenario #2: same car/damage as #1, you call us, we tell you it’s $2,100, you order the report from us, submit it to the insurance company with a demand letter, they will respond to you trying to work you down from $2,100.
The bottom line is this, since third party claims are a negotiation process, you always want to have the upper hand and want to preemptively attack and assert your demand. This is usually the best way to go.
If you have any questions please call us at 678-404-0455.
