A number you can actually understand.
This page explains how our software estimates diminished value. It describes a general method, not a professional appraisal standard. Estimates depend on the information provided and available market data, and actual outcomes vary.
What this method is
The estimate is produced by a deterministic valuation engine. The same inputs produce the same figures. We publicly explain which factors affect the number. A language model does not calculate diminished value, and it does not adjust the number after the fact.
This is a general method for a self-help estimate, not a professional appraisal standard. Actual outcomes vary with the vehicle, the repair, the evidence, the market, and how an insurer handles the claim.
What the engine uses
The calculation starts from the facts you enter about the accident, the vehicle, and the repair. A VIN is optional and helps identify the exact vehicle. State guidance comes from a reviewed list, not from a generated paragraph.
- Where the accident happened, who was responsible, and roughly when it happened
- Year, make, model, mileage, and ZIP at the date of loss
- Pre-accident value, or an indication that you are not sure
- Repair cost, damage severity, structural work, airbags, sensors, parts, and how the repair looks
- Prior accident history and whether the record is already on a history report
How the number is built
- Set a pre-accident (pre-loss) value from comparable listings when they qualify, otherwise from the owner-provided guide value.
- Express diminished value as a bounded percentage of that pre-loss value (2%–35%), then adjust for severity, age, mileage, market segment, prior history, repair quality, and history-report visibility.
- When accident-history listings can be compared with clean-history listings, blend that market evidence with the model estimate.
- Compute a separate insurer-style 17c figure for comparison only. It is not the ask, and it is not a statement of what any insurer must pay.
Why we still show 17c
Our estimate does not use the 17c structure. 17c applies fixed modifiers to a base value and ignores repair cost and market comparables. We still show it because many insurer responses are shaped like that formula. Seeing the two figures together is how you see the gap — not an endorsement of the formula, and not a legal conclusion about any state.
Worked example — seeing the 17c gap
Worked example · 2022 Toyota RAV4 XLE Premium
17c caps the loss at 10% of book value and multiplies down for damage and mileage. It has no line for frame repair — which is why the report answers it line by line.
What this does not do
It does not inspect the vehicle. It does not interpret your policy. It does not contact an insurer. It does not promise that anyone will pay the documented ask. You review every figure and you send your own correspondence.
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This is an estimate, not an appraisal or a promise of payment. It's based on the information you entered and general market data. Insurers may dispute or deny claims. Read the full disclaimer.