Advice on diminished value after auto accident, do I have a case?

[mrfisher3043]

I live in Georgia. A couple weeks ago while I was towing my boat with my 2022 Toyota Tundra Platinum(33k miles), I was in an accident that involved two other vehicles. The driver in car 1 was looking down at his phone and slammed into car 2 which slammed into my boat/trailer. The driver in car 1 was found 100% at fault. Both those cars were totaled and there was considerable damage to my boat/trailer, but no damage to my Tundra according to the collision shop.

Even though my truck had no damage, I understand that I will still have an accident flag showing on my Tundra's vehicle history/Carfax report, which I'm sure lowers the resale value and will make it harder to sell.

Should/can I get compensated from the at fault party's insurance (Nationwide) for the reduced value of my truck? The only thing they've paid for is the $230 the collision shop charged for the damage assessment. The Nationwide rep I spoke with try to insinuate to me there's no diminished value compensation since there was no damage to the truck and also bc we're talking about a "hypothetical" future resale value.

Is it worth fighting them back on this? Any tips on how to argue my case? and get an estimated value of my truck with an accident vs without an accident on the report?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[LdiJ]

I live in Georgia. A couple weeks ago while I was towing my boat with my 2022 Toyota Tundra Platinum(33k miles), I was in an accident that involved two other vehicles. The driver in car 1 was looking down at his phone and slammed into car 2 which slammed into my boat/trailer. The driver in car 1 was found 100% at fault. Both those cars were totaled and there was considerable damage to my boat/trailer, but no damage to my Tundra according to the collision shop.

Even though my truck had no damage, I understand that I will still have an accident flag showing on my Tundra's vehicle history/Carfax report, which I'm sure lowers the resale value and will make it harder to sell.

Should/can I get compensated from the at fault party's insurance (Nationwide) for the reduced value of my truck? The only thing they've paid for is the $230 the collision shop charged for the damage assessment. The Nationwide rep I spoke with try to insinuate to me there's no diminished value compensation since there was no damage to the truck and also bc we're talking about a "hypothetical" future resale value.

Is it worth fighting them back on this? Any tips on how to argue my case? and get an estimated value of my truck with an accident vs without an accident on the report?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I agree with the insurance company. Your vehicle was not damaged in any way, which was proven to you by an independent third party. You are not going to get any compensation for diminished value.

 

[adjusterjack]

Agree. No DV on the truck. Full stop. But keep that $230 evaluation in your permanent truck file. If, in the unlikely event that it becomes an issue with the buyer, that evaluation could help the sale.

If anything, you may be entitled to DV on the damaged boat, depending on its year, make, model. condition, etc, etc, etc. Once your boat is repaired you can approach the Nationwide claim rep about DV on the boat.

 

[BensonBingham]

I live in Georgia. A couple weeks ago while I was towing my boat with my 2022 Toyota Tundra Platinum(33k miles), I was in an accident that involved two other vehicles. The driver in car 1 was looking down at his phone and slammed into car 2 which slammed into my boat/trailer. The driver in car 1 was found 100% at fault. Both those cars were totaled and there was considerable damage to my boat/trailer, but no damage to my Tundra according to the collision shop.

Even though my truck had no damage, I understand that I will still have an accident flag showing on my Tundra's vehicle history/Carfax report, which I'm sure lowers the resale value and will make it harder to sell.

Should/can I get compensated from the at fault party's insurance (Nationwide) for the reduced value of my truck? The only thing they've paid for is the $230 the collision shop charged for the damage assessment. The Nationwide rep I spoke with try to insinuate to me there's no diminished value compensation since there was no damage to the truck and also bc we're talking about a "hypothetical" future resale value.

Is it worth fighting them back on this? Any tips on how to argue my case? and get an estimated value of my truck with an accident vs without an accident on the report?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

You may still be entitled to diminished value compensation even if there’s no visible damage to your truck, as an accident flag on the vehicle history report can affect its resale value. To strengthen your case, consider getting an independent appraisal comparing the truck’s market value before and after the accident. Present this documentation to the insurance company to support your claim.

 

[quincy]

You may still be entitled to diminished value compensation even if there’s no visible damage to your truck, as an accident flag on the vehicle history report can affect its resale value. To strengthen your case, consider getting an independent appraisal comparing the truck’s market value before and after the accident. Present this documentation to the insurance company to support your claim.

I hope you respond to your clients’ concerns in a more timely way than you do to posters on this forum.

 

[civeni]

I live in Georgia. A couple weeks ago while I was towing my boat with my 2022 Toyota Tundra Platinum(33k miles), I was in an accident that involved two other vehicles. The driver in car 1 was looking down at his phone and slammed into car 2 which slammed into my boat/trailer. The driver in car 1 was found 100% at fault. Both those cars were totaled and there was considerable damage to my boat/trailer, but no damage to my Tundra according to the collision shop.

Even though my truck had no damage, I understand that I will still have an accident flag showing on my Tundra's vehicle history/Carfax report, which I'm sure lowers the resale value and will make it harder to sell.

Should/can I get compensated from the at fault party's insurance (Nationwide) for the reduced value of my truck? The only thing they've paid for is the $230 the collision shop charged for the damage assessment. The Nationwide rep I spoke with try to insinuate to me there's no diminished value compensation since there was no damage to the truck and also bc we're talking about a "hypothetical" future resale value.

Is it worth fighting them back on this Lifera Plumbers? Any tips on how to argue my case? and get an estimated value of my truck with an accident vs without an accident on the report?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Yes, you can absolutely pursue compensation for the diminished value of your truck. Even though there was no physical damage, the fact that the accident is now on your vehicle’s history report can affect its resale value. Georgia law allows for diminished value claims if another party is at fault, and the insurance company should compensate you for the loss in value, even if your truck wasn’t damaged in the crash. To support your claim, get a professional appraisal to show the difference in your truck’s value before and after the accident. Present that to Nationwide and explain that the accident history will lower your truck's resale value. While they may resist, it’s worth pushing back and being persistent, as you’re entitled to compensation for the diminished value. If they continue to refuse, you might need to escalate the claim or consult an attorney to ensure you're fairly compensated.