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Total Loss Guides
Plain-language guides for vehicle owners whose car has been declared a total loss: how settlements are calculated, how to dispute a low offer, and how the appraisal process works.
- How to Dispute a Total Loss Settlement Offer
Think your insurer's total loss offer is too low? A step-by-step guide to checking the valuation, gathering evidence and pushing back.
- What Is the Appraisal Clause in an Auto Insurance Policy?
How the appraisal clause works in a total loss dispute: who picks the appraisers, what the umpire does, and what it costs.
- How Insurance Companies Calculate a Total Loss (Actual Cash Value)
What actual cash value means, how insurers use comparable vehicles to value a totaled car, and where valuations commonly go wrong.
- Total Loss Claims Against the Other Driver's Insurance
How a third-party total loss claim differs from a claim on your own policy, and how to negotiate a fair settlement.
- What Does an Umpire Do in a Total Loss Appraisal?
When an umpire is needed in the auto insurance appraisal process, what they decide, and who pays for them.
- My Car Was Totaled. What Should I Do Next?
A practical checklist for the days after your insurer declares your car a total loss, before you accept any settlement.
Think your total loss offer is too low?
Our independent appraisers build a documented valuation from market data, equipment and condition, and stand behind it through negotiation with your insurer.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Policy terms and consumer rules vary by insurer and state. Check your policy, and contact your state insurance department with questions about your rights.