How to Claim Automobile Depreciation After an Accident
- 1). Repair your car at an authorized service center to ensure that the work is done properly. Provide the body shop with the information about the insured's insurance policy, and the body shop estimator will work with the insured's insurance company to handle the repairs to your car and payment for those repairs.
- 2). Contact the insured's insurance company, and inform them you will be filing a diminished-value claim for the loss of value on your car due to the accident. The insured's insurance company will send a claims adjuster to inspect your car to ensure that it was properly repaired.
- 3). Take your car to several dealerships or automobile sales lots, and obtain a written trade-in value for your car. Compare the trade-in values you receive with the Kelly Blue Book trade-in value, which can be found online.
- 4). Send a copy of the trade-in information and Kelly Blue Book information to the insured's insurance company with a request for what you feel the economic loss is on your car due to the accident. Start high, as the insurance company will start low. If you can meet somewhere in the middle, you might get a good part of your overall economic loss returned.
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