Before you accept a total loss offer in Virginia, get the insurer's valuation report, check every comparable and adjustment, and send corrections in writing with proof. Virginia regulations entitle you to a copy of the valuation on request and require deductions to be itemized (14VAC5-400-80).
Ask in writing for the full valuation report and the settlement breakdown. 14VAC5-400-80 requires the insurer to provide the total loss valuation on request.
Year, make, model, trim, engine, drivetrain, mileage and every option package. A wrong trim or missing package is one of the most common errors.
Are they the same trim and similar mileage? Are they local? Are they real listings or sales you can verify? Note any that don't match.
Look at condition ratings and every deduction or adjustment. Deductions for betterment or depreciation must be itemized in the claim file under 14VAC5-400-80. Ask how each one was determined.
Maintenance records, receipts for tires, brakes, or recent major work, pre-loss photos, the window sticker or build sheet, and listings for truly comparable vehicles near you.
Va. Code § 46.2-1600 defines it, for salvage purposes, as the retail cash value of the vehicle before damage, determined using recognized evaluation sources.
Send your corrections and evidence, ask for a revised valuation, and keep copies. On your own policy, if you still disagree on the amount, the appraisal clause usually provides a formal way to resolve it.
Three sides to every claim. I've worked all of them. Geoffrey C. Albach has spent 33 years in the industry as an independent appraiser, a former insurance staff adjuster, and a collision repair operations director.
By Geoffrey C. Albach, independent auto damage appraiser · About Geoff
Related guides: Total Loss: How Actual Cash Value (ACV) Is Determined · Total loss offer too low? · The Appraisal Clause Umpire Process, Step by Step · All guides
Areas we serve: Lynchburg · Roanoke · Charlottesville · All areas
Yes. 14VAC5-400-80 requires the insurer to provide it on request.
For titling, Va. Code § 46.2-1600 treats a late-model vehicle as salvage when its estimated repair cost exceeds its actual cash value minus its salvage value. Insurers also apply their own practices.
Point out each problem in writing and send better comparables with proof.
On your own policy, usually yes, for a disagreement over the amount.
General information, not legal advice. Talk to a Virginia attorney about your specific claim.
Call or text Geoff at 434-665-6059. Lynchburg, VA.
