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Your car was totaled and the offer feels low
The documents you will see
- The full valuation report (ask for the complete vendor report, not the summary letter)
- The settlement offer letter
- Your vehicle's window sticker, service records, and photos if you have them
- The section of your policy that covers total loss settlement
The order to work in
- Get the complete valuation report; the offer letter alone cannot be checked.
- Verify your car's year, trim, mileage, engine, and options against the report.
- Review each comparable vehicle: is it really the same car, in your market, comparably equipped?
- Check every adjustment, positive and negative, for arithmetic and consistency.
- Put specific discrepancies in writing, with your evidence attached, and keep copies of everything.
Deadlines, and where they live
Your policy and your state's insurance rules set the timelines, and many states have their own total-loss valuation rules insurers must follow; your state department of insurance publishes them. The offer letter and your policy are the first places to look for response windows, and the department of insurance is the escalation path when an insurer will not respond.
Primary source: Your state department of insurance (find it through naic.org).
The kit that does this work with you
Totaled Car Insurance Valuation Dispute Kit: The insurer's valuation says your totaled car was worth one number. Your comps may tell a different story. Guide, editable workbook, and letter templates, $49.
New to PocketBack? Start with The Paperwork Audit, our free checklist covering six everyday documents, this topic included where it fits.