Reader question:

I recently totaled my car, and the amount that my car insurance company offered me for my car insurance total loss claim was a less than the amount noted in Blue Book. Can they do that?

Randy

They sure can.

Whenever you total a vehicle, your car insurance company pays you for the total cash value of the vehicle you total. While a good way to get this amount is to look in the Kelley Blue Book, it is anything but fool proof. Consider, for example, that cars experience wear and tear over the years, which brings down the amount that they are worth on the market, as well as in the salvage auction. Another thing that might lowerthe value you is if the car has been in an accident before and gotten repairs. Chipped paint, a bad transmission, anything will decrease the value of a vehicle, even if Blue Book says it should cost a certain amount.

In the end, the judgement must be made by you and your car insurance company to accept or deny an offered price. If you think that the amount they want to give you is not the correct amount, then you do not have to accept it. You can continue to negotiate with the claims adjuster, and if necessary bring in an attorney to help.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.