WINNING A TOTAL LOSS DISPUTE

1. Gather Strong Evidence

✅ Independent Appraisal: Get a vehicle valuation appraisal from a reputable source like The St. Lucie Appraisal Company, known for transparent and comprehensive evaluations. Their approach includes real-world market research and full dealer transparency, which can significantly strengthen your case.
✅ Maintenance and Upgrade Records: Provide your appraiser with documentation of recent maintenance, upgrades, or customizations that increase your vehicle’s value.

2. Review Your Insurance Policy

✅ Understand the Policy Language: Carefully read your policy’s total loss settlement clause and know whether it covers Actual Cash Value (ACV) or Replacement Cost.
✅ Depreciation and Deductibles: Confirm how depreciation and deductibles are calculated. Some insurers use methods that unfairly lower the payout.

3. Your Appraiser will Challenge the Insurance Company’s Valuation

✅ Request a Detailed Valuation Report: They will ask the insurer for a full breakdown of their valuation, including the sources of comparable vehicles they used.
✅ Identify Inaccuracies: They will look for discrepancies like:

• Wrong Vehicle Trim or Features – The insurance company might have undervalued optional features or premium trims.
• Outdated or Irrelevant Comparables – They will ensure the comparables they used are current and truly comparable.
  ✅ Submit Your Evidence: Present your independent appraisal and maintenance records to counter their valuation.

4. Negotiate Assertively

✅ Remain Professional and Persistent: Be firm but polite in all communications.
✅ Escalate to a Supervisor: If an adjuster is uncooperative, request to speak with a supervisor or manager.
✅ Use Leverage: Mention your willingness to file a complaint with your state’s Department of Insurance or pursue legal action if necessary.

5. Utilize the Appraisal Clause

✅ Invoke the Appraisal Clause: Most insurance policies have an appraisal clause allowing you to hire an independent appraiser (e.g., autodiminishedvalue.com) to dispute the insurer’s valuation. The St. Lucie Appraisal Company has an excellent track record for obtaining fair settlements.
If your appraiser and the insurer’s appraiser can’t agree, a neutral umpire is chosen to make the final decision.

Why Choose The St. Lucie Appraisal Company?

The St. Lucie Appraisal Company is an excellent choice because:

• They provide real-world market research with full dealer transparency (names, dealerships, and phone numbers), making it harder for insurers to dispute.
• They have offer service nationwide and have excellent customer reviews.

The St. Lucie Appraisal Company is highly regarded for its exceptional customer reviews across multiple platforms, including BBB, Google, Trustpilot, Birdeye, and Yelp. Their strong reputation, combined with their transparent and thorough appraisal approach, makes them a trusted choice for  total loss disputes.

The business model of all insurance companies is to charge as much as they can in premiums and to pay out as little as possible in claims. Keep this in mind when you receive the settlement offer for your total loss vehicle.

Additional fees you may incur are $275.00 for our representation in Appraisal Clause negotiations.

READ CUSTOMER REVIEWS OF THE ST. LUCIE APPRAISAL COMPANY

REQUEST AN AUTOMOBILE VALUATION APPRAISAL – $275.00 for most cars.

RV AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT OWNERS PLEASE CALL FOR RATES.

Before making your payment, please email the insurance company CCC or other work sheet to contact@stlucieappraisal.net

Don T (California)- Thank you for your services. I am happy with the total loss valuation appraisal and feel the valuation to be true. When I drive to Tesla supercharger stations, none of the other Tesla’s stand out or is as nice as mine, and I get that comment all the time from Tesla and non-Tesla owners. It was my perfect dream car and is irreplaceable. You just can’t put a price tag on something like that. So it’s very insulting when Geico and CCC tries to value my car at such a ridiculous amount. So thank you for your great work and I will definitely be leaving you great reviews. Franklin was very helpful and extremely knowledgeable. He took his time to explain the process and what I would be expecting before I even hired him. I felt very comfortable working with him and couldn’t be more happy with his services. If you had a car that you loved and cherished and is irreplaceable, and you want to make sure it gets appraised at the right value even though you can’t put a price tag on it…then Franklin and The St. Lucie Appraisal Company is your go to appraiser. Thanks Franklin!

Gino B (Washington)- I know firsthand that if you are reading this testimonial – you’ve had some car problems (stolen, damaged, accident, etc.) You are probably in the right spot.
When my truck was stolen and recovered (with a lot of damage), my Insurance company (USAA), who I thought would be there for me when the chips were down made me a really low-ball offer. After some simple internet searches – it seems USAA has a habit of letting down their insurance customers.
I was pulling my hair out battling it out with USAA’s lowball offer until I found Franklin’s St. Lucie Appraisal team. Franklin quickly assisted me in understanding my rights, my options and provided expert advice and engaged with all parties as my representative in the appraisal process resulting in an award letter almost 3X higher than USAA’s initial low-ball offer. 3 TIMES HIGHER!
USAA initial offer was about $5K – Franklin was able to negotiate with other appraisers and get me a fair Actual Cash Value of $15K through the process. The juice is definitely worth the squeeze folks.
He was consistently available, professional, friendly, and considerate and took the time to understand my claim and help ensure I take the steps that were right for me. Before you go anywhere else – drop his team a line – you will be glad you did.