Claims mechanics
Claims pages cover the mechanics of what insurers actually do once a loss is reported: how deductible recovery works, what diminished value is, and what to do if a claim is denied. For the step-by-step process of filing a claim, see how to file a car insurance claim. For what to do immediately after a crash, see car insurance after an accident. For total-loss settlement mechanics, see car insurance when your car is totaled.
Diminished value claim
Diminished value is the resale-value loss a vehicle carries after a repaired accident. First-party DV is generally excluded by the standard policy outside Georgia (per State Farm v. Mabry, 2001). Third-party DV is a tort claim against the at-fault driver in most states.
Subrogation and deductible recovery
How your insurer recovers from the at-fault party after paying your claim, and when your deductible gets refunded. Timeline, partial-recovery allocation, Arbitration Forums inter-carrier arbitration, and state DOI escalation when the carrier won't refund.
Claim denied: appeal steps and rights
A denied claim is not the end. Six common denial reasons mapped to the right escalation step: written denial, policy-provision review, internal appeal, state DOI complaint, civil litigation. NAIC model regulation on unfair claims practices and state DOI complaint rights.
Four claim-mechanics categories organize the family. The hub cards below describe the scope so you can see what belongs here even if a given leaf has not shipped yet.
Filing and process
How to report a loss, work with the adjuster, review repair estimates, and close the claim. See /guides/how-to-file-a-car-insurance-claim and /guides/claim-process-timeline for the step-by-step.
Total loss and settlement
What happens when the car is totaled: ACV math, lender payoff, GAP, and state salvage retention. See /situations/car-totaled for the full walkthrough.
Carrier mechanics
How insurers recover money from an at-fault party (subrogation), how they treat ambiguous repair bills, and what happens when a claim is denied.
Specific damage types
Diminished value, uninsured-motorist claims, hit-and-run, and glass. Each has its own mechanics worth knowing before you file.