Insurance claims glossary
Clear definitions for the terms that come up when you are filing a diminished value claim or disputing a total loss settlement — plus step-by-step guides when you are ready to act.
Featured guides
Step-by-step claim documentation, grouped by total-loss and diminished value questions people search most.
Total Loss & ACV
- GuideTotal Loss & ACV
Insurance Total Loss Offer Too Low? What to Do
Review the valuation, check vehicle details and comparables, document errors, and respond with relevant evidence.
- GuideTotal Loss & ACV
How to Dispute a Total Loss Valuation
Get the report, list specific errors, attach market evidence, and ask the insurer to reconsider in writing.
- GuideTotal Loss & ACV
How to Read a CCC Total Loss Valuation Report
Review vehicle details, comparable vehicles, options, mileage, condition, and valuation adjustments.
- GuideTotal Loss & ACV
How Insurance Companies Use Comparable Vehicles
What makes a total-loss comparable relevant, how adjustments work, and what to review if the comps look wrong.
- GuideTotal Loss & ACV · Georgia
Georgia Total Loss & Actual Cash Value
Georgia first-party total-loss rules for comparable vehicles, local-market areas, taxes, and settlement review.
Diminished value
- GuideDiminished value · Claim documentation
How to Write a Diminished Value Demand Letter
What to include, what evidence to attach, and how to organize your diminished value claim.
- GuideDiminished value
Diminished Value Claim Denied? What to Do Next
Identify the denial reason, review the rules, strengthen the evidence, and respond to the insurer.
- GuideDiminished value
How to Negotiate a Diminished Value Claim
Use vehicle-specific evidence, a clear demand, written responses, and a disciplined counteroffer process.
- GuideDiminished value · Georgia
Georgia Diminished Value Claims
Georgia first-party authority, third-party property damage, evidence, and practical claim steps.
Core concepts
- Actual Cash Value (ACV)
What your vehicle was worth immediately before the loss, accounting for age, mileage, condition, and market factors.
- Diminished Value
The loss in market value a vehicle retains after being repaired following an accident.
- Pre-Loss Value
Your vehicle's market value immediately before the accident — the baseline for DV and ACV calculations.
- Total Loss
When an insurer decides repair costs exceed a threshold relative to the vehicle's value, so they pay ACV instead of fixing the car.
Claims process
- Diminished Value Demand Letter
A written request asking an insurer to consider compensation for a vehicle's loss in market value after an accident and repair.
- First-Party Claim
A claim filed with your own insurance company under your policy coverage.
- Insurance Adjuster
The insurance company representative who evaluates your claim and negotiates settlement offers.
- Third-Party Claim
A claim filed against the at-fault driver's insurance rather than your own policy.
Evidence & documentation
- Market Comparables
Similar vehicles sold or listed in your area used to establish pre-loss value or prove diminished value.
- Panel Replacement
When a body shop replaces a vehicle panel rather than repairing it — a stronger severity signal than minor repair work.
- Repair Estimate
A written breakdown from a body shop listing parts, labor, and repair operations needed after an accident.
- Vehicle History Report
Records like Carfax or AutoCheck that show accident history and reduce buyer willingness to pay full market price.