What is Diminished Value?
Diminished Value (DV) is the gap between what your car was worth before the accident and what it's worth after being fully repaired. The repair restores function — it can't erase the accident from CARFAX or AutoCheck. Dealers and private buyers see that history and discount accordingly, often by 10–25% of the vehicle's value.
This loss is real, measurable, and — when the accident wasn't your fault — recoverable from the at-fault driver's insurance company as a third-party claim.
Who has the strongest claims?
- Not your faultThe other driver (or their insurer) is liable. DV is claimed against their policy, not yours.
- Newer vehicleLate-model cars with clean history lose the most value from a first accident.
- Owned, not leasedOn a lease, the lost resale value belongs to the leasing company — so the claim isn't yours to make.
- Meaningful damageThe larger the repair, the larger the documented hit to resale value.
How our DV report works
- We establish pre-loss value — trim, options, mileage, condition, and regional market data, documented with real comparables.
- We measure the post-repair discount — what the market actually pays for an equivalent vehicle carrying an accident history.
- You get a written expert opinion — a signed appraisal report from a licensed appraiser, in the format insurers and courts respect.
The report is your evidence. Insurers can argue with a feeling; they have a much harder time arguing with documented market data. Our DV reports are a single flat fee, and with 21+ years of DV reporting experience nationwide, we'll tell you honestly — before you pay — whether your claim is worth pursuing.
Don't forget Loss of Use
If you went without your car while it was in the shop, you're likely owed for that time too — whether or not you rented a replacement. It's a separate recovery that pairs naturally with a DV claim. DV laws in all 50 states → Loss of Use, explained →