“Without your help, I wouldn’t have known how to make sure my car was fixed right, or how to recover the $4,318.84 in diminished value.” – ADE Client
Accidents happen. And when they do, it’s nice to know that you have someone in your corner, looking out for your best interests. Today, we share with you a real-life story (one of many) and how Auto Damage Experts was able to help a newly retired schoolteacher recover more than $4,300.
Case Study: 2017 Lexus NX 200t
After serving her community as a school teacher for more than 30 years, Susie (name changed to protect her identity) decided to reward herself with a retirement gift of a brand new 2017 Lexus SUV. Just one month later, while she was dining at a local restaurant, another patron backed into her new vehicle causing approximately $4,500 in damages.
The at-fault party initially claimed responsibility, but later tried to recant his testimony of responsibility.
A friend referred Susie to ADE, and we were able to help her get her vehicle repaired by the local Lexus specialist. We consulted her on everything from how to get a rental car to how she should engage the insurance company and the body shop.
Upon performing a post-repair inspection, we recommended a few minor adjustments, and the body shop took care of those without issue. From there, we performed a DV assessment on her new vehicle, and found that the car had suffered $4,318.84 in diminished value.
Susie sent the at-fault insurance company our DV assessment, and their response was to send her an offer of $900.00 to settle. In many cases, people take the lowball offer… saving the insurance company thousands of dollars, essentially protecting their profits at the expense of the victim’s amount owed for damages incurred.
We then introduced Susie to an attorney that specializes in diminished value assessments. (In Oregon, the law states that the at-fault party can be held responsible for attorney fees).
It took a couple of months, but in the end, under threat of mounting legal fees, the insurance company decided to pay Susie the FULL AMOUNT of her diminished value claim PLUS all of her attorney’s fees.
Susie’s story is no different than so many people who come to Auto Damage Experts for help. Without an advocate like ADE, her vehicle would have lost an unrecoverable $4,318.84… and she would have been none the wiser until years down the road when she tried to sell her vehicle.
If you have a question about Diminished Value or would like to request a post-repair inspection, we invite you to contact the Auto Damage Experts office in your region. It’s our pleasure to serve you.
