- 1). Have the insurance representative explain how that insurance company arrives at a value on a vehicle that is not repairable. The old days of an individual looking at the Kelley Blue Book or thumbing through the newspaper for advertisements on similar cars is no longer accepted in many states. Now companies can provide data on hundreds of cars that are for sale, or have sold, in your area to determine what your car would sell for pre-accident.
- 2). Contact the shop that does the estimate for the insurance company, often a place where the vehicle is towed after an accident. Have a technician explain why the vehicle is not repairable, which may be based on high mileage or mechanical condition that affects the value.
- 3). Research the value of the vehicle yourself by checking the Kelley Blue Book, perusing autotrader.com, or by comparing advertisements for the same vehicle with similar mileage and condition in your local newspaper.
- 4). Adjust the average value of your vehicle by any specialty work that may have been done to it, whether it was considered a "classic" auto, below or above average mileage, or whether the condition of the body and mechanics was excellent or poor.
- 5). Provide the representative with any documentation that supports your claim that the vehicle is worth more than you are being offered. For instance, invoices showing specialty work done--not normal mechanical maintenance--or pictures that showed it was in above-average condition.
- 6). Hire a professional appraiser to document the vehicle's value if you cannot come to an agreement. Many insurance companies offer a policy clause that allows both parties to hire an independent appraiser, and for those appraisers to choose a third independent appraiser, with the company and customer splitting the cost of that individual.
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