Auto Insurance Claims: Diminished value claim for minor body damage to vehicle?, diminished value claim, 2008 toyota rav4

Question
My parked car (2008 Toyota Rav4 base model 2wd with after-market sunroof and roof rack, 4200 miles))  was hit by another driver who admitted fault and whose insurance paid for the repairs.  There was only minor body damage to the front passenger-side fender and the front bumper.  Additionally because the fender was pushed back very slightly as a result of the collission, the front passenger-side door had to have the paint touched up(barely) in one tiny spot where the door would "rub" against the fender upon opening it.  All of this was fixed by a Toyota dealer/body shop.  The bumper and fender were replaced with original Toyota parts, and the door paint was touched up.  The vehicle looks like it did before the accident.  The body shop guy told me that there was no additional damage, structure or frame-wise.  All of this cost $1512.75 to fix, which the other party's insurance company paid for.  
Do I have a claim for diminished value of my car?  If so, how do I go about filing a claim with the other party's insurance and getting an estimate for the diminished value?

Answer
Hi Omar,

If the police came to the scene of the accident and wrote a police report, the accident history will likely show up in a CARFAX vehicle history report. When anyone finds a collision history they will have a negative opinion of your vehicle. That having been said, the amount of diminished value is generally based on the type and extent of damage sustained by the vehicle. The greater the damage, the more the diminished value. Based on your description of the damage, the diminished value will likely be less that $1000.00. In order to pursue a diminished value claim you will have to obtain a professional appraisal of the amount of diminished value. This will generally cost you $250 to $400. Then even with the professional appraisal, the insurance company will negotiate a settlement.

In this situation you may not net very much. I would suggest that you keep a copy of the detailed repair estimate in the glove box of the vehicle. The later when you go to sell it, if the damage history is discovered you can pull out the estimate to show the minimal nature of the damage.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh