Liability is disputed
Where it is unclear who caused the collision, the appraisal secures the state of the damage as evidence – before anything is repaired.
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Not every scratch needs an appraisal – but considerably more cases do than most people assume. What decides it is rarely the visible size of the damage, but what lies behind the panel and who ends up paying.
The rule of thumb is simpler than people expect: as soon as a third party is to cover the damage – the other side's liability insurer, a comprehensive policy, a lessor – robust documentation is needed. What is not documented is not reimbursed.
A workshop repair estimate quantifies only the repair costs. It says nothing about diminished value, replacement value, residual value, loss of use or the condition before the collision. Yet in many cases those items make up a substantial part of the claim.
Where it is unclear who caused the collision, the appraisal secures the state of the damage as evidence – before anything is repaired.
Only an appraisal establishes the replacement value and the residual value. Without those figures it is impossible to judge whether a total loss exists at all.
On electric cars even a light rear-end impact can damage the high-voltage battery in the floor pan. None of that is visible from outside.
Three forms, three areas of use. The choice depends on the extent of the damage and on who ultimately settles.
The full appraisal report documents the extent of damage, the repair method, the repair costs, the replacement and residual values, the diminished value and the duration of both repair and loss of use. It is the basis for a settlement in full.
The short report is an option on smaller damage where only the repair effort has to be evidenced.
The repair estimate is not damage documentation but a quotation from the workshop. For minor damage it suffices; otherwise it does not.
The most expensive mistake after a collision is repairing before the appraisal. Once the vehicle has been put right, the original extent of the damage can no longer be established – and what cannot be established is reimbursed by no insurer.
That applies to diminished value in particular: it presupposes that it can be traced which parts were affected and to what extent. After the repair that determination is no longer possible.
The opposite happens too: waiting for weeks invites argument about what caused the damage. The sensible course is an appraisal soon after the collision and before the repair begins.
Describe the case to us briefly. If an appraisal is not needed, we will say so – even though we then earn nothing from it.
Head office in Schramberg-Sulgen, branch office in Rottweil. For the damage inspection we come to you in any case – on site, at the workshop or at your home.
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