Diminished Value – Get the Compensation You Deserve After an Auto Accident
The squeal of tires. The sickening sound of metal grinding against metal as you lurch forward in the driver’s seat. As you climb out of the car, you’re shaken – but thankfully you and the driver who hit you are not injured. Unfortunately, the same isn’t true for your car. Even after you endure the hassle of dealing with insurance companies and the inconvenience of taking your car in for repair, the bottom line is that your car simply isn’t worth as much. “The resale value of a vehicle with an accident history is considerably less than a comparable vehicle that’s never been in an accident,” says Omar Quddus, President and Co-Founder of Advocate Auto Claims LLC.
This phenomenon is called “diminished value,” and the at-fault or third party’s insurance company has an obligation to compensate the driver who was not at fault for this difference in market price. “Insurance companies are required to restore a vehicle to its pre-loss condition and value,” says Quddus. “Unfortunately, most consumers aren’t...