Depreciation on a wrecked vehicle

[manlabor]

I am having a dispute with the adjuster over the value of depreciation on my car that was wrecked.

I am considering going to small claims court to settle this. I have 3 letters from local car dealers stating what the car was worth and the value after the wreck. The depreciation ranges from $1500 to $5000.
The adjuster is offering $500.

My question is whether my claim for more money is valid and can I use those letters in small claims court.

thank you

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, Verdana">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by manlabor:
I am having a dispute with the adjuster over the value of depreciation on my car that was wrecked.

I am considering going to small claims court to settle this. I have 3 letters from local car dealers stating what the car was worth and the value after the wreck. The depreciation ranges from $1500 to $5000.
The adjuster is offering $500.

My question is whether my claim for more money is valid and can I use those letters in small claims court.

thank you<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response:

First, before you file in Small Claims Court, check your policy (it's that booklet you got that's about 79 pages long) and, in it, you will find something about arbitration concerning disputes between you and the insurance company. You must follow those provisions first. And yes, in any forum (Arbitration or Small Claims) those estimates are invaluable to your claim.

Good luck to you.

IAAL



------------------
By reading the “Response” to your question or comment, you agree that: The opinions expressed herein by "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE" are designed to provide educational information only and are not intended to, nor do they, offer legal advice. Opinions expressed to you in this site are not intended to, nor does it, create an attorney-client relationship, nor does it constitute legal advice to any person reviewing such information. No electronic communication with "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE," on its own, will generate an attorney-client relationship, nor will it be considered an attorney-client privileged communication. You further agree that you will obtain your own attorney's advice and counsel for your questions responded to herein by "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE."

 

[Lianne]

I'm curious as to how you got a dealer to put in writing a before and after value. When I filed my Diminished Value claim, I went to several dealers, and they all said they wouldn't put anything in writing. They also said they couldn't estimate what the car was worth before the accident, since they didn't see it before the accident (a flimsy excuse, I think.) Also, the only after-accident estimate they would verbally give me was for trade-in value, not retail. How did you manage to get the dealers to cooperate?