Auto Insurance Claims: car claim, New orleans auto theft SIU investigation/denial expert

Question
I have a 2008 Nissan Sentra with 43,000 miles on it and i wrecked it about two months ago the insureance has paid me for medical and fixed the car and they are now askling to setl ewith diminshed value? i need help  My cars total repairs were 3900.00 i need to know what i should quote them. They called me this morning and offered me 200.00

Answer
Hello,

There are far too many details left out here. $4K damage is not very severe and for diminished value replacing with after market parts, there is not much for diminished value. The car is 4 years old, so installing LKQ parts does not diminish the value. Not sure what you are expecting here from the carrier. You are not entitled to new parts on a 4 year old vehicle. You are only allowed to be made whole, not better than the crash.
As I said, without knowing everything that was replaced with after market, I do not know what the diminished value if for, but this is an extremely low dollar repair and I really don't understand why they are offering anything on diminished value.

You can quote them anything you want. They obviously opened the door on this issue.

Now, if I had been handling the claim for such a low dollar amount and the fact you wrecked the car, we would not be talking anything for diminished value on a 4 year old car even if every part replaced was after market. Also looking at the total claim of the $3,900.00, how much actually went into parts? How much was labor, materials and the recycling fees?

You do not get diminished value for a body shop repair because the vehicle is purportedly put in pre-crash condition. Used parts on a 4 year old vehicle do not diminish the value of the vehicle because your vehicle had used parts on it before the crash.

I cannot see where there is diminished value on $3,900.00 worth of claim ad the $200 is more generous than I would have been. However since they are obviously so stupid to offer you $200.00 you might as well ask them for $2k and settle somewhere in the middle. Then we as insureds wonder why are rates et jacked up.


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