- 1). Determine whether the damage is covered by your insurance company. Read through your insurance policy's fine print to learn whether the damage to your vehicle will be covered. For example, storm damage or damage that occurs as a result of a freak accident like something falling onto your car may not be covered depending on your individual insurance carrier.
- 2). Schedule a visit with your insurance company's adjuster. Typically, the insurance company will want to send a representative to evaluate the damage done to your vehicle. They will typically set up an appointment with you, but some companies may send an adjuster unannounced.
- 3). Get a damage quote from a local garage. Although your insurance company will have their adjuster look at the vehicle, it is always best to have a local garage or mechanic give you his opinion on the amount of damage done to the vehicle and the actual cost of repair.
- 4). Get the blue book value on your vehicle. Visit KellyBlueBook.com or NADA.com to get a current blue book value for your car or truck. They will ask you to input variables such as the make, model and year, as well as any additional features or add-ons you have on the vehicle.
- 5). Calculate the difference between the necessary repairs and the blue book value. If the cost to repair the vehicle exceeds the overall book value of the vehicle, an insurance company will typically total it out and send you a payout for the value of the vehicle.
If the cost to repair it is less than the blue book value, the payout will then be the amount needed to repair it to original working order.
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