Questions and answers
Everything people ask before filing. If yours is not here, write to us , a real person answers, and good questions end up on this page.
01
The basics
What diminished value is and whether you have a claim.
What is a diminished value claim?
When your car is damaged in an accident, it permanently loses resale value even after a flawless repair, because the accident now appears on its history report and buyers pay less for a car with an accident on record. A diminished value claim recovers that lost value from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. It is separate from, and in addition to, the repair cost the insurer already paid.
Can I file a diminished value claim in my state?
Every US state except Michigan allows a not-at-fault driver to recover diminished value from the at-fault driver’s liability insurer. Michigan’s no-fault system bars most third-party vehicle damage claims, though its mini-tort provision and small claims court remain available. Our state pages set out the rule, the filing deadline and the small-claims limit for each of the 51 jurisdictions.
How much is a diminished value claim usually worth?
Most claims fall between $1,000 and $5,000, though the figure scales with the vehicle’s value and how severe the damage was. The strongest predictor is repair cost as a share of the car’s pre-accident value: a $9,000 repair on a $30,000 car produces a much larger loss than a $1,500 repair on the same car. Newer, lower-mileage and premium vehicles lose the most.
Do I need a lawyer to file a diminished value claim?
For a typical claim, no. Diminished value is a property damage claim you can present yourself, and most are settled by letter and phone with an adjuster. Personal-injury firms rarely take property-only claims of this size because the fee would not justify the work. If your claim is large, if you were injured, or if the insurer refuses to engage at all, it is worth speaking to an attorney in your state.
What is the 17c formula and why does it matter?
The 17c formula is the method most insurers use to calculate diminished value. It caps the loss at 10% of the vehicle’s value, then multiplies that down by a damage factor and a mileage factor, reaching zero for any vehicle with over 100,000 miles. It came out of a Georgia settlement as one acceptable method and was adopted industry-wide because it is cheap to apply and produces low numbers. It is not derived from any study of what accident-branded cars actually sell for, which is exactly why it can be challenged.
How long do I have to file?
The deadline is your state’s statute of limitations for property damage, which ranges from two to ten years depending on the state and is often different from the deadline for injury claims. It runs from the date of the accident. Practically, you should file as soon as repairs are complete: adjusters treat a claim brought two years later with more scepticism, and negotiating takes weeks.
Will filing a diminished value claim raise my insurance rates?
A third-party diminished value claim is made against the at-fault driver’s insurer, not your own, so it does not touch your policy or your premium. If you pursue a first-party claim against your own collision coverage, which only a few states allow, that is a claim on your policy and is treated like any other.
What if my car was declared a total loss?
There is no diminished value claim on a totalled vehicle. When an insurer totals a car it pays actual cash value, which is the full pre-accident market value, so there is no repaired vehicle left carrying a resale discount. If you think the actual cash value they paid was too low, that is a separate dispute and often a winnable one.
02
The calculator
How the estimate is produced and how accurate it is.
How accurate is this diminished value calculator?
The calculator uses a documented method built from the factors that actually move resale price: repair cost relative to vehicle value, structural damage, airbag deployment, age, mileage against expectation, market segment, parts used and repair quality. The method and every coefficient are published on our methodology page. Accuracy rises sharply when you supply a sourced pre-loss value and comparable listings, and the tool tells you where your inputs are weak rather than presenting a false precision.
What information do I need to use it?
Your vehicle’s year, make, model and mileage; the date and state of the accident; how severe the damage was; the repair cost; and your car’s market value before the accident. The repair cost is on the shop’s invoice or the insurer’s estimate. The pre-loss value takes two minutes to look up on Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds.
Is the calculator really free?
Yes, and it does not ask for an email to show you the number. The estimate, the range, the factor breakdown and the comparison against the insurer’s 17c formula are all free. You only pay if you want the valuation report and demand letter to send to the insurer.
Why is your number higher than my insurer’s offer?
Because the two are measuring different things. The insurer’s 17c formula caps the loss at 10% of the car’s value and then multiplies it down for damage and mileage. Our method estimates what the market actually discounts an accident-branded example of your vehicle by. The gap between the two is the reason this product exists, and the report explains it line by line so you can put it in front of an adjuster.
03
The packet
What you get, what it costs, and what happens if it does not work.
What exactly do I get for my money?
A tailored valuation report and a demand letter, both as PDFs you can print or email. The report shows the full calculation for your specific vehicle, the comparable listings you supplied, and a line-by-line rebuttal of the insurer’s 17c formula. The demand letter is addressed to the at-fault insurer, cites your state’s legal basis, and states the amount and the deadline. You also get certified-mail instructions and a follow-up schedule.
How is this different from a free diminished value calculator?
Free calculators give you a number and stop. A number on a website is not something an adjuster will pay against. What gets a claim paid is a documented valuation with the method shown, comparable listings supporting it, a rebuttal of the formula the insurer will use, and a professional demand letter citing your state’s legal basis. That is the whole packet, and it is what the free tools do not produce.
How is this different from paying an appraiser $200–400?
An appraiser produces a licensed appraisal, which carries more weight and is occasionally required. Recoupe produces a documented market-based estimate and the demand letter to go with it, for a fraction of the cost and in minutes rather than days. For a routine claim on a repaired vehicle, the packet is usually enough. If your state or your insurer requires a licensed appraisal, we tell you that and point you to an appraiser rather than pretending we replace one.
Is the number guaranteed? Will the insurer definitely pay it?
No, and anyone promising otherwise is misleading you. Our figure is a supported negotiating estimate built on a documented method. Insurers negotiate, and most settlements land between our conservative figure and our supported figure. What the packet does is move the starting point away from the insurer’s formula and give you evidence to argue from.
Do I need an account?
No. Run the calculator, buy the packet, download it. We email you a private link so you can come back to it for 180 days. You can create an account afterwards if you want to keep your claims together, but nothing requires it.
What if the insurer rejects my claim?
That is common on a first pass and it is not the end of the claim. The Escalation Kit adds a rejection-rebuttal letter, a Department of Insurance complaint template pre-filled for your state, a small-claims filing guide with your court’s limit, and a negotiation script with counter-offer thresholds. You can add it at any time.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. If the packet is not what you expected, email us within 30 days and we will refund it, no argument, no form to fill in. We would rather refund you than have you feel you were sold a template.
Find out what your claim is worth
Three minutes, no account, no email. You see the number before you decide anything.