Travelers diminished value claims in North Dakota
North Dakota is one of the few jurisdictions that does not allow the standard third-party diminished value claim, and that is true whichever carrier insured the at-fault driver. What remains against Travelers is narrow, and it is set out honestly below.
Travelers claims: 1-800-252-4633
Filing deadline
6 years
N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16(4)
Small claims limit
$15,000
Your fallback if they refuse
Shared fault
Modified comparative negligence (50% bar)
How Travelers approaches these claims
LOW CONFIDENCE. No reputable source, state DOI market-conduct report, court opinion, or established consumer/legal publisher, was found documenting how Travelers settles third-party DV. The carrier-specific 'DV guides' that dominate search results are AI-generated marketing pages and were not relied on. What is verifiable: third-party DV is a state tort-law question, so outcomes vary by state (Georgia requires DV assessment after the 2001 Mabry decision; most states allow third-party DV as property-damage tort damages). Washington's insurance regulator states plainly that an insurer 'doesn't automatically pay you for diminished value' and it is 'subject to proof.'
Why North Dakota is different
Unsettled but very unlikely. There are no North Dakota decisions allowing DV under an insured's own physical-damage coverage, and standard policies limit the carrier to repair cost or actual cash value. Given the Sullivan holding on the tort side, a first-party DV theory faces long odds. Treat as effectively unavailable.
What remains
Your options in North Dakota
Read the rule first
North Dakota does not allow the standard third-party diminished value claim, so the usual demand-letter route against Travelers is not available. The routes below are what remain.Check the narrow routes
North Dakota is an outlier: it effectively does NOT allow an inherent diminished value claim. N.D.C.C. § 32-03-09.1 presumes damages are reasonable repair cost plus loss of use, switching to a before/after market value measure only when restoration is impossible or impracticable. In Sullivan v. Pulkrabek the ND Supreme Court held a plaintiff who took the cost of repair had already received the full statutory measure and could not also recover diminution in value. DV is reachable only by arguing the vehicle could not be properly restored. ND's no-fault act (ch. 26.1-41) limits only bodily-injury tort claims, the DV bar comes from § 32-03-09.1.Document everything anyway
If one of the narrow routes fits your facts, it will turn on documentation: the repair invoice, the history report, and a supported valuation of the loss.
FAQ
Travelers in North Dakota
Does Travelers pay diminished value claims in North Dakota?
North Dakota is one of the few states that does not allow a standard third-party diminished value claim, against Travelers or any other carrier. Unsettled but very unlikely. There are no North Dakota decisions allowing DV under an insured's own physical-damage coverage, and standard policies limit the carrier to repair cost or actual cash value. Given the Sullivan holding on the tort side, a first-party DV theory faces long odds. Treat as effectively unavailable.
How long do I have to file against a Travelers driver in North Dakota?
North Dakota allows 6 years from the date of the accident for a vehicle property damage claim (N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16(4)). The deadline is on filing suit, not on sending a demand letter, and negotiating with an adjuster takes weeks, so start well before it.
What if Travelers denies the diminished value claim?
1) Put the dispute in writing to the assigned claim professional and demand a written explanation of any DV denial or offer. 2) Ask for that person's supervisor or unit manager by name (get it via 1-800-252-4633). 3) Escalate to Travelers Consumer Affairs, One Tower Square, Hartford, CT 06183, the complaint address published on travelers.com/contact-us. 4) File a state DOI complaint. 5) Sue the at-fault driver in small claims. Note: the policy appraisal clause is a first-party remedy; as a third-party claimant you have no contract with Travelers and generally cannot invoke it. Beyond the carrier's own process, you can file a complaint with the North Dakota Insurance Department, and court remains available for the limited claims North Dakota does recognise.
This page combines our researched profile of Travelers (reviewed 2026-07-28, confidence low) with the North Dakota rules table (reviewed 2026-07-28). Full sources and citations are on the Travelers page and the North Dakota claim page. It is general information, not legal advice, and practices change; verify before relying on it.
Other carriers in North Dakota
Travelers in other states
See where your claim stands
Free calculator, three minutes, no account. It applies your state's rules automatically.