Your logic is totally flawed, and you are seeing statements that aren't there. Plus your comprehension is non-existent. I hope you are not a lawyer. I'd feel bad for your clients. Actually I'd feel bad for anyone who has to explain anything to you. Or deal with you. Lol.

 

Same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. I was pumping gas at night and normally I do a walk around my cars when I do. That's when I notice a nasty dent with orange scratches. I was at home depot earlier in the day. It was a windy day and despite me parking away from everyone, pretty sure a shopping cart rolled down the parking lot and smashed into the GLE passenger door close to where the fender is.
Filed a claim and its in a body shop getting fixed now. Some of the Xpel I have on the GLE has to get replaced as well. Comprehensive damage claims like this are not really going to affect the resale value of your vehicle. I talked to many people about this as I was curious too.. since I haven't filed a claim in more than a decade. No need to be overly concerned OP.

 

Thanks for the info there! Any recommendations for how an individual can go about figuring what the DV is for a vehicle? Our new to us GL450 was hit a month ago. All repaired now, but if it shows on Carfax (not even sure if it does, but $7,800 of billing) presuming it will command a lower re-sale. The insurance company says we can turn in documentation to show that, but they are not helpful in any way in helping us figure it out. They've been great with everything else, but this seems to be something they're really dragging their feet on. My question is, how would we go about determining out pre-crash and post-repair values, and making claim for that difference?
THANKS!

 

First, you have to determine if your state allows DV claims. In mine (MD) they are allowed. We usually retain an expert to evaluate the vehicle. The expert prepares a report which provides a written valuation. The cost is $200-500 or so depending. More damage usually means more to review, and a higher cost for the report. The expert will want a copy of the repair estimate, so have that handy. I have handled a DV claim without an expert, but my client was working at a car dealership and got something in writing from them about the DV. Not exactly a report, but enough to submit to the carrier.

There are a number of factors which affect the DV value, including, but not limited to the nature and extent of the damage, the age of the car, and the quality of the repair. Serious structural damage (i.e. a frame repair) will also affect DV. (I guess that really goes back to the extent of the damage). You said "new to us" GL450 which leads me to believe this may have been a used car? I personally don't know how this would affect things. It might make the DV greater, as the depreciation hit has occurred, and thus $7800 is a greater percentage of overall value, or it could be that it makes the DV smaller, as any sale would be a third sale of the vehicle. Only the expert will know.

Once you have the report, you can submit it to the insurance company. Don't expect them to roll over. They will low-ball you on it. Stick to your guns and ask for their report, so you can see where it differs from yours. Sometimes they won't even get a report, they will just argue yours is wrong. If they try this, small claims court is way to go. When they show up without a report, the judge should give your report a lot of weight. Make sure the small claims rules in your state allow you to put in the report without expert testimony. Sometimes just filing suit is enough to get the carrier to increase their offer.

Good Luck!

 

THANK YOU! I'm in CA, and everything I founds says yes, it's claimable. I just don't know what my amount would be, and how much time/energy to put into it. That's what the insurance companies are counting on!!!
The truck is an '07 GL450 with 48k miles. Repair work is exemplary, but there's always going to be that Carfax or insurance flag. Luckily no salvage title!!!
I think I'll start off w/ a Carmax quote and see if it's even an issue. If they say no big deal, then I'll happily let it go :-) This reddit is the best info I could find: https://www.reddit.com/r/Insurance/c...iately_denied/
Thanks again for your detailed response!

 

Salvage title happens when insurance "buys" your car after damage.

 

I just saw a car get wrecked (see photo below). It's a given that the car in question will be replaced, but the owner should also be compensated for PTSD for enduring the trauma.

 

I purchased a roll of magnetic sign material in a 2 ft by 5 ft roll and cut it into 8 in strips. Then cut it into pieces for the front and rear door and painted it to match. I make sure they're on the car when I'm parking. A paintless ding repair in around $100. This protection is half the cost of one ding.