Total loss · Diminished value · Property damage
Insurance paid less than your car was worth?
We handle vehicle property damage claims: total loss offers, diminished value and repair disputes.
What we handle
Three kinds of vehicle claims
01
Total loss
The insurer totaled your car and the offer looks low.
Insurers set actual cash value with valuation reports that can miss options, condition, recent repairs, and taxes and fees.
We check the report line by line and negotiate for a fair number.
02
Diminished value
Your car was repaired, but it is worth less now.
A vehicle with an accident on its history usually sells for less than the same vehicle without one.
That loss may be recoverable, depending on your state and whose insurer pays.
03
Property damage
Repairs, rental and the rest of what the crash cost you.
Disputed repair estimates, rental and loss of use, and personal items damaged in the vehicle.
We collect the paperwork and make the claim for you.
Diminished value
Why a repaired car can be worth less
Even after a good repair, the accident stays on the vehicle’s history report.
Buyers and dealers usually pay less for a car with a reported accident than for the same car with a clean record.
The gap between what your car was worth before the accident and what it is worth after the repair is its diminished value.
Vehicle factors
- Age and mileage
- Make, model and trim
- Condition before the accident
- Market demand for the vehicle
Accident factors
- How severe the damage was
- Structural or cosmetic damage
- Quality of the repair
- Earlier accidents on record
Late-model, low-mileage and luxury vehicles tend to lose the most value.
How it works
How a claim review works
01
Send us what you have
The valuation report or repair estimate, photos of the damage and your claim number.
A phone photo of each document is fine.
02
We review and value the claim
An attorney reviews your file and tells you what we think the claim is worth and whether we can help.
03
We deal with the insurer
We present the claim and negotiate with the insurer for you.
Have these ready
- The insurer's valuation report or settlement offer
- Repair estimate and final repair invoice
- Photos of the damage
- Claim number and adjuster contact
- Your policy declarations page
Who handles your claim
Our attorneys
Attorney
Ido Stern, Esq.
- New York and Florida
Of Counsel
Jay H. Katz, Esq.
- New York and New Jersey
Of Counsel
Jason S. Gordon, Esq.
- Michigan
Of Counsel
Abraham C. Bloomenstiel Esq
- Texas
Of Counsel
Clifford M. Weiss
- Georgia
Of Counsel
Abraham C. Bloomenstiel Esq
- Texas
No fee unless money is recovered for you.
Questions
Straight answers
No. You can ask the insurer how it calculated the value and point out what its report missed, such as options, condition, recent repairs, or taxes and fees. Some policies also include an appraisal process for disputes over value. We review the offer and negotiate with the insurer for a fair number.
Yes. Diminished value is about market value, not repair quality. A well-repaired car can still be worth less because of its accident history. We compare what the vehicle was worth before the accident with what it is worth after the repair.
It depends on your state and your policy. Diminished value is usually claimed from the at-fault driver’s insurer, so it is hardest to recover when you caused the accident. Tell us what happened and we will tell you where you stand.
Deadlines depend on the state and the type of claim. Your policy may also set its own deadlines for reporting a loss or disputing a valuation. Contact us soon after the accident so no deadline is missed.
Nothing. The claim review is free. If we take your claim, we explain the fee in writing before any work starts.
Free claim review
Tell us about your claim
Send the details and an attorney will review them.
Prefer to talk?
Call us.
- (561) 210-7868
- pd@diminishedclaimslaw.com
- Boca Raton, Florida
Sending this form does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Vehicle property damage claims: total loss, diminished value and property damage.
Contact
- (561) 210-7868
- pd@diminishedclaimslaw.com
- 170 NE 2nd St #1409, Boca Raton, FL 33429
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The information on this site is general information, not legal advice.
Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
© 2026 Diminished Claims Law
(A registered DBA of Diminished Value Claims Law Firm PA)
170 NE 2nd St #1409, Boca Raton, FL 33429