Did you know even after repairs, your car may still be worth less after an accident?
This is called diminished value, and you might be able to get money from the insurance company to make up for the difference.
Here’s how it works:
Before the accident: Your car has a certain value.
After the accident: Even with repairs, your car might be worth less. This is called the diminished value.
Your insurance policy will typically give you right to be reimbursed for the difference between the diminished value and what your car would be worth if you had not been in the accident. Your insurance company will not offer this to you unless you invoke your rights under your policy. That’s where we come in.
Collision Safety Consultants can Help!
We’re independent experts who can assess the damage to your car and determine how much value it lost. We do this for a flat fee and work directly with your insurance company to resolve your claim.
We specialize in:
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Diminished Value Claims
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Total Loss Valuations
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Pre-Purchase Inspections
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Post-Collision Repair Inspections
We work for you, not the insurance company, to ensure you get a fair deal.
Types of Diminished Value
Immediate: This is the difference in what your car could be sold for before the accident and what it’s worth now.
Inherent: This is the value lost simply because your car has been in an accident, even if perfectly fixed. Many buyers prefer cars with no accident history.
Repair-related: This happens when repairs are done poorly, and your car isn’t as safe or reliable as before. A proper inspection can help prevent this.
FAQ: Getting the Most After an Auto Accident
What is diminished value, and how does it affect me?
Diminished value is the decrease in your car's market value because it has been in an accident and repaired. Even with perfect repairs, a car with a repair history may sell for less than a similar car without prior damage. This is called inherent diminished value.
There are other ways repairs can further decrease your car's value:
- Repair-Related Diminished Value: This happens when repairs are poor quality. Maybe the paint doesn't match perfectly, or there are rattles or leaks. These imperfections can make buyers suspicious of more significant underlying damage and lower their offer.
- Insurance-Related Diminished Value: This occurs when the insurance company's repairs don't fully restore your car's value. They might use cheap parts or cut corners on repairs, leading to diminished value.
If you're concerned about diminished value, Collision Safety Consultants can help. Call us today at (855) 648-8800 for a free consultation to discuss your specific situation.
How can I tell if my car has diminished value?
Several factors can affect diminished value, including:
- Age of the car: Older cars with higher mileage generally have less overall value to begin with, so diminished value might be less significant.
- Severity of the damage: More extensive damage will likely lead to higher diminished value.
- Quality of repairs: Poor repairs significantly increase diminished value.
Unsure if your car has diminished value? Don't wait! Call Collision Safety Consultants at (855) 648-8800 today. Our specialists can review your case and help you determine if you have a claim.
How do I collect diminished value from the insurance company?
Unfortunately, collecting diminished value from insurance companies can be a complex and lengthy process. They often try to deny or minimize diminished value claims. Here's where Collision Safety Consultants can help:
- Diminished Value Claim Specialists: Our team has the expertise to navigate the process and fight for the compensation you deserve.
- Expert Documentation: We'll gather evidence to support your claim, including repair invoices, appraisals, and market data on similar cars without accident history.
- Negotiation and Advocacy: We will negotiate aggressively with the insurance company to ensure you receive a fair settlement for diminished value.
Don't let the insurance company undervalue your car! Call Collision Safety Consultants today for a free consultation and get what you're owed!
Tyler Harden2025-06-12WOW! Pete at Collision Safety Consultants was fantastic. Super thorough and responsive. Really helped answer my questions along the way. After banging my head against the wall for a month and a half dealing with the insurance company and getting nowhere near a fair value for our vehicle, Pete went to work and got not only what we needed, but even a little bit more! Best money ever spent.
Colton Clifton2025-06-11Tim at CSC was fantastic. From day one, he walked me through every step of the way and was always available for questions. I was able to get what I deserved from the insurance company. Highly recommended.
A H2025-05-10I had an outstanding experience working with Pete Peturssun from Collision Safety Consultants. After my 2021 BMW M440i was involved in an accident, I received a lowball offer for my diminished value claim. That’s when I reached out to Pete—and I’m so glad I did. Thanks to his expertise and dedication, he was able to secure **more than double** my initial settlement. He was professional, knowledgeable, and always kept me informed throughout the process. I highly recommend Pete and Collision Safety Consultants to anyone dealing with a diminished value claim. You won’t be disappointed!
helina9812025-05-06I had an excellent experience! After my new car was in an accident, Tim handled everything seamlessly. I received my insurance check within a week. He’s incredibly experienced and knowledgeable—highly recommend!
Jorge Gonzalez2025-05-01Tim was great to work with. My car was declared a total loss by my insurance company and I received a fair settlement amount thanks to Tim’s advice. He is knowledgable, honest, reliable and cares. He provided excellent services, great advice and easy to understand support throughout the entire process. Very refreshing to work with someone you can trust and rely on during events such as this one. I highly recommend Collision Safety Consultants DMV. Thanks Tim.
Owen Godbold2025-04-28"You won't get any more money for your claim", "This is a reasonable compensation", "Similar comps have already been listed and reviewed and we aren't giving you any money". These are a couple of the things my adjuster told me when I pointed out the value they had placed my car was HALF of what I had paid for it 6 months prior. Yes, I understand that it is an ACV policy but that still doesn't make any sense that it is that low. Low and behold, Tim Pfeifle brings them up thousands of dollars above what they said they were going to pay me. This guy is the real deal, and I will hopefully never have to use him again, but I know that if I do results will happen. Professional, competent, and with no-high pressure sales tactics Tim got the job done ahead of schedule and above where my expectations were set. Highly highly highly recommend this team and company, don't take the word of your insurance carrier who is incentivized to pay you less at face value. Do it right, get Tim, end of story.
Steve Sage2025-04-22We could have never done this without help from Tim at CSC. When our three week old vehicle was hit with over $20K worth of damage, fortunately someone recommended that we call CSC. They not only helped us develop everything we needed for a devaluation claim (we didn't even know there was such a thing) but Tim looked through the body shop estimate and noticed them looking for several junkyard parts. To be put on a 3 week old car! We called out the body shop and they backed off. There are so many ways insurance companies and their body shop try to cut corners and don't tell you. When you mention you have someone with the experience of Tim on your side, they behave completely differently. For the devaluation claim the insurance company offered us less than half what we were asking. We rejected their offer and showed up for our first court date. Which was really just to meet the insurance company lawyer and schedule an actual trial date. We met, talked to the lawyer and presented him with everything that CSC had prepared. They could tell we were informed and not willing to be taken advantage of. We knew we'd have to find a middle ground to settle so there was some haggling. We had a number that we'd be willing to accept. Their lawyer was fair, we still had to counter offer twice but, in the end, we got more than what we thought we would. The money we paid CSC was the best we ever spent. I can't recommend them highly enough.
Vanishia Jackson Kelly2025-04-21Shout out to Pete and the team at safety collision consultants here in the dmv! After I was involved in a car accident in December I was fighting my own case and learned about DV! Hit the team up in January to receive information, he told me to wait until I had my car back and everything was working properly. After several returns to the body shop, my car was back and I called Pete ready to go after Statefarm! I made my payment & the rest was history. He determined I lost 6k in DV after several conversations we was able to get me 4k back, a win is a win! Thanks team.
Linda Rohleder2025-04-04I never knew this service existed. Tim did an excellent job communicating on my behalf and he was able to negotiate a favorable settlement with the insurance company. Highly recommend!
Taylor Green2025-03-26Can’t thank Pete enough for all the work he put into getting us a GREAT settlement. Dealing with insurance after an already emotional experience is draining. Having to turn around and fight for even a fair appraisal is exhausting. Leave it to the professionals get the job done. Can’t recommend enough!!