Washington Total Loss Appraisal Clause Disputes

Call Now for a Free Claim Review – 503.567.8900 Email: leveragepdx@gmail.com

In the aftermath of a car accident or in cases of theft, flood, Stolen vehicle or other unforeseen events, your vehicle might be declared a total loss by your insurance company. This term typically implies that repair costs are either equivalent to or surpass the vehicle’s retail market value. At Leverage Auto Appraisals, we believe you deserve the full retail market value for your car, inclusive of any relevant Tax, Title, and Licensing Fees, especially in Washington where you have the legal right to dispute the insurance company’s offer if it seems unjustifiably low.

The key lies in the appraisal clause of your full coverage policy. This provision enables you to hire an independent auto appraiser, like Ken Nix, a certified expert in Washington, to challenge what might seem like a lowball valuation from your insurer. If your insurance policy includes an appraisal provision, it typically follows these steps:

Obtain an auto appraisal (at your expense).
Your insurance company conducts its own appraisal (at its expense).
Should there be a disagreement on the vehicle’s value, both appraisers select an umpire. The costs for the umpire are split equally between you and the insurance company.

At Leverage Auto Appraisals, we stand by your side in these critical moments. Whether your car has been involved in an accident, suffered damage from a storm, or been stolen, we provide a thorough, unbiased auto appraisal to ensure you receive a fair valuation. This is particularly crucial when the cost of repairs approaches or exceeds your vehicle’s market value.

In summary, don’t settle for less. If you’re facing a total loss situation in Washington and want to dispute the insurance company’s offer, rely on Leverage Auto Appraisals for accurate, reliable, and fair auto appraisal services. Your vehicle’s true car value or vehicle value should always reflect its worth in the market, and we’re here to make sure that happens.

Washington

Our all-inclusive auto appraisal service provides everything you need to determine the cash value of your vehicle. With us you can have peace of mind and confidence in your claim. Other companies may claim to be the best auto appraisers in the Pacific Northwest, but we don’t work for insurance companies like they do. Haven’t you already dealt with enough misdirection and manipulation from your insurance company?

Is there an auto appraiser near me? I cover all of Washington, specializing in helping consumers with Washington total loss insurance claims as an Washington Certified Auto Appraiser since 2010.
Washington Total Loss Laws. Unfortunately, Insurance companies in Washington do not have to reimburse you for the cost of the total loss appraisal. Although, normally since you get an increase in your taxes with an increase in the value, this normally will cover at least part of the cost of the appraisal.
How can I negotiate with car insurance adjusters for my car’s total loss. YOU DON’T HAVE TO. Under your policy’s appraisal clause, you’re allowed to hire a vehicle appraiser and he can negotiate the claim for you.
How much more can I get? My average increase this year, is $5,768.19 or 44.78 percent of the vehicle’s value. .
When’s the best time to invoke my appraisal clause? The sooner the better. Ken has over a decade of experience working appraisal clause claims. Many insurance companies are known to give claimants a list of things to do if they want a higher value. Most of the times, this is just a ploy to get you to waste time while your vehicle goes down in value, so they can gain an even bigger advantage.

We Can Help! We specialize in Washington Total loss Insurance claim disputes. If your vehicle has been declared a total loss and your insurance company is not providing a fair offer, and you need help, we can provide… LEVERAGE to get the value you should be receiving. Don’t go it alone, our Licensed Auto Appraiser, Ken Nix, can help you recover your full value by producing an appraisal under the appraisal clause of your insurance policy and negotiations with your insurance company.

Excellent

Leverage Auto Appraisals |Total Loss Appraiser

Based on 126 reviews

Travis

Ken was excellent to work with and really is an expert in his field. He does everything he can to help and got me over $4,000 more than my insurance's initial offer. Highly recommend getting yourself a quality appraiser like Ken.

Response from the owner:Thank you so much Travis, for your kind words and for taking the time to share your positive experience. I am delighted that we could secure over $4,000 more than the initial offer from the insurance company for your claim. Your recommendation means a lot to me. Achieving such a significant increase in the Market Value payout underscores the importance of a thorough and expert appraisal process. As a licensed auto appraiser specializing in Total Loss Appraisal and Car Appraisal, I am dedicated to providing accurate and fair valuations for all my clients. It's all too common for initial offers from insurance companies to be low, often based on incomplete or incorrect data from CCC ONE valuations or JD Powers Valuations. By carefully analyzing the market and ensuring that all factors are considered, I strive to dispute total loss insurance claims effectively and secure the settlements my clients deserve. Your case is a perfect example of why it's crucial to have a quality appraiser on your side. Thank you again for your trust and for recognizing my expertise and efforts. Should you or anyone you know need assistance with a total loss dispute or any other car appraisal needs, please do not hesitate to reach out. I remain committed to providing exceptional service and support to all my clients. Best regards, Ken Nix Leverage Auto Appraisals

James Dolciamore Voiceover

I was very hesitant to pay for an independent valuation; however, after working with Ken, I am almost too overwhelmed with gratitude to find words for this review. In the end, he surprised us by getting us over $4,000 more on this claim. This was far more than I could have ever hoped for. The only minor frustration for us was trying to reach Ken which was sometimes a struggle, but I must stress he is a one man band and he gives his all for every client. If you need an update, be polite and be persistent. Trust me, he is fighting for you and he usually wins!

Freddie Todd

I would give 10 stars if i could. Ken Nix of Leverage Auto Apprasials is very knowledgeable with years of experience. It is important to know that Ken has not worked for the insurance companies. This makes him a truly independent appraiser. Ken is transparent and keeps you in the loop. He increased my settlement $2,660 over what the insurance company offered. Very happy about that! Ken does his very best to get you the most money for your car. He was a great help to me in navigating the settlement process. I strongly and highly recommend Leverage Auto Appraisals. BTW from start to finish it took 4 business days to get the insurance company to agree to giving $2,660 more. The $499 fee was paid by the insurance company. Thank you Ken for all your help!! Keep up the good work!

Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind words Freddie. Fortunately, your claim went quickly because they hired a local appraiser as the opposing appraiser. I really appreciate you choosing me as your appraiser and expecially the 10 stars! 🙂 - Ken Also, just to clarify for others, Freddie initially paid my fee upfront, and State Farm had to reimburse the fee per Oregon Law OAR 836-080-0240 which states: "Your insurer must reimburse your reasonable appraisal costs if the final appraised value is greater than the insurer’s last offer."

barrett rosteck

Ken took the time to talk me through this unfamiliar process and indicated he felt the initial insurance offer was a low-ball estimate. He was able to find comparable cars and confidently negotiate an increase on my behalf.
I was contacted by the insurance's hired appraiser when they were looking for pre-accident condition details on my car and even they mentioned they had been in negotiations with Ken over many cases in the past. His years of experience paid off for me! Thank you.

Babak Jabbari

If you want to talk about professionalism, experience, and honesty Ken is the man. He helped me understand the accident claim process and total loss comps and how insurance companies come up with payout amounts. He put me on ease to accept my settlement deal and move on. Thanks Ken

Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind words Babak. It's not very often I run up on a claim that is actually a good deal for the policyholder, but in your case, it was. I'm glad I could provide you with the information for you to make a well informed decision. It was really nice of you to take the time to write a review even though I wasn't able to help you achieve a higher settlement. If just everyone I helped get $3,000 or more on their claims wrote me a reviews, I'd have literally thousands of reviews instead of 80. So again, thank you VERY much to taking the time to provide your input.

So Vaun

Where do I begin and how do I thank Ken? Not many know about a person’s right to have an auto appraiser to negotiate a fair price for your vehicle! If you ever need an appraiser, you must get Ken on your side! We were being lowballed, and they didn’t want to really negotiate.
I found Ken Nix, his business “Leverage Auto Appraisal” when he says he’s on your side, he truly is!
He got me way more than I could have ever expected. Not only that, what I learned from his expertise, was an eye opener! he explains every step in great detail, and breaks it down so it all makes sense.
I hope I never have to go through this again, but if we had to. Ken, you’re the man!
Thank you, for your patience, understanding and for answering my many questions and walking me through this.
OH! The best part my husband was one satisfied and amazed client!

Response from the owner:Thank you so much, Lavaune! I truly appreciate you taking the time to write a review, and I'm thrilled that both you and your husband were pleased with my services. I'm especially grateful that you mentioned my efforts to explain the process in detail. I always strive to ensure that my clients fully understand each step, even though the process can sometimes take time. Negotiating a claim involves many variables such as whether the insurance company picks a local appraiser, an out-of-area one, or even a large, well-connected company can all impact the timeline and outcome. This job certainly isn't stress-free, and my priority is always to make sure my clients are satisfied. If I worked for the insurance companies, I'd probably earn about $250 more per case on average, and I wouldn’t have to worry as much about public opinion, marketing, negotiating, or selling my appraisal services. But the path I’ve chosen, while challenging, I feel is the right one for me. It is fulfilling because I get to help people who are being taken advantage in most cases, and I’m committed to advocating for my clients and ensuring they know their rights and understand the process. Your recognition of these efforts means the world to me. Thank you again! - Ken

David Winkler

I had a total loss claim on a vehicle with a rebuilt title. After receiving what I perceived to be a low offer, I hired Ken based on the great reviews and was not disappointed. Ken helped negotiate on our behalf and was able to raise the appraised value by more than 20%. He was also very informative and helpful walking me through the process. I would highly recommend Leverage Auto Appraisals to others in a similar situation.

Response from the owner:Thank you, David! I really appreciate you taking the time to write a review. Makes me feel good to be able to get the extra $3,300 you should have been offered to begin with. It's crazy how low some of these valuations have been recently. I was reviewing my records this morning, and out of 84 claims I've settled in the past few months, only 18 had increases of less than $3,000. This should never happen. Before the pandemic, only about 20-30% of the appraisal clause claims I worked on saw increases over $3,000. Now it's reverse???? Something really weird is going on in my opinion.

Jeremy Bittermann

I was recently involved in an accident which totaled my beloved 100 Series Land Cruiser. I consider myself to be a pretty good negotiator and figured I would be able to get a decent settlement from my insurance company.

I was WRONG. It was a gigantic, time-wasting headache. After spending a bunch of time gathering and submitting documentation to prove that their settlement offer was absurdly low they agreed and increased their offer by $500 - ridiculous.

At this point I engaged Ken to help. He was a steady hand through the entire process and provided a real education on how this whole dumb system works. In the end he was able to get the offer increased by over $8k (!) which made the final settlement much closer to what the value of the car was.

If you find yourself in a similar situation I suggest not wasting your time trying to do it yourself. Just hire Ken. He'll do a great job, take all the guess-work out of it and will almost definitely get you more money.

Also, if he gets the insurance company to increase their offer by any amount then they are obligated to reimburse you for Ken's fee!

Thanks Ken!

Ron Burke

After calling Ken and explaining my details he worked with my insurance assessor. After a couple weeks he was able to get me a 29% value increase over what my insurance offered me for the total loss of my car. Thank you Ken and Leverage Auto Appraisals for your work to get me what I felt my vehicle was worth.

Response from the owner:Thank you Ron, That was a nice settlement, but a hard claim. I'm really surprised they let us get that much without pushing to go to umpire earlier. Over the past couple of months, anytime we should have a large increase like this, opposing appraisers are trying to push it to Umpire. Which in my personal opinion, is a rigged system. Most of the umpires work for insurance companies. I'm seeing more and more appraisers target the Pacific Northwest from Florida, Utah, Michigan, California, and the funny thing is a lot of them are the same auto appraisers working for insurance companies and I'm negotiating against them. Thank you for selecting me as your auto appraiser Ron. So happy I could help. Thank you, Ron! That was indeed a nice settlement, though it was a very challenging claim. I’m honestly surprised the opposing appraiser didn’t push for an umpire earlier, especially with an increase this significant. Lately, whenever we’re aiming for a large increase, opposing appraisers are quick to push to go to umpire. A system that, in my personal opinion, often favors insurers, as most umpires have close ties with them. It’s also interesting to see more appraisers targeting the Pacific Northwest from places like Florida, Utah, Michigan, and California. Many of them are the same opposing appraisers I encounter working for insurance companies in other claims. I appreciate you choosing me as your auto appraiser and taking the time to write a review.

Kepha Jones

Couldn't recommend Ken, or his company more highly! He's knowledgable, experienced, and passionate about what he does. He got me $11k more than the insurance company offered me. Trust this man and his process. It works!

Response from the owner:Thank you Kepha for the great review! I would like to address one thing I'm seeing from some other company reviews about how their appraiser picks up on the first ring. The majority of my calls go to my live answering service. I don't just sit around all day focusing on selling appraisals. I'm normally working on negotiating claims or conducting research to discredit the opposing appraiser's comps. Not, sitting around focusing on selling appraisals. I've had a lot of people ask why I put so much time and energy into fighting for my clients, and it's simple. I get to be "BATMAN". Protecting people from being taken advantage of. Shame on the insurance companies for using database valuations that are mostly crap in my personal opinion. Using comps with structural damage, branded titles or just claiming they're in "Excellent" shape and the insured's vehicle is AVERAGE "Private Party" at best then taking as much as an additional $2,000 off for condition, against vehicles that have as many as 50,000 more miles???? Of course, the comps are from a database, and have been sold and scrubbed from the internet. So you can't see that $2,000 current damage or the bad paint or improper repair from a collision. Not to mention giving the Lion's share of business to large appraisal companies that then have Hope for gain (getting more business) or fear of loss (losing a million dollar contract). It should be where insurance companies would have to hire a "true" independent auto appraiser. Where all available auto appraisers were put on a list and then selected in sequence instead of giving one company a large amount of business. Just my 2 cents. Thanks again Kepha! -Ken

Young

I live in Seattle and my 2014 Subaru Forester was totaled back in August. While I felt the offer from my insurance was fair for most of the car, there were a few things that I felt their offer didn’t capture (new tires). So I sat on their offer for 3 months before finding Ken Nix.

Ken has great communication considering how swamped appraisers are now. When I first spoke to him with concerns (before even hiring him), he took the time to answer all my questions in great detail. While no appraiser can guarantee how an appraisal will go, Ken assured me his services would be well worth the cost. And he was right! Less than 1 week after hiring him, I got an email from my claim agent stating they had increased my loss value by about $1800!

I’m so glad I didn’t just immediately accept my insurance’s offer, and I’m especially glad I found someone as reliable and professional as Ken!!

aaron oblvn

Ken was super knowledgable and helpful in walking me through my insurance appraisal and helped me get an increase in the insurance offer. I'd use him again in a heartbeat and recommend him to anyone looking for help with insurance appraisals.

Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind words Aaron. I very happy I could put an additional $3,000 in your pocket. Thank you for choosing me as your auto apprasier. Kind regards, Ken

Oregon Total Loss Vehicle Appraisals

Has your Insurance Company deemed your vehicle a total loss? Are they not offering enough for your totaled car or truck? In your insurance policy, you have what is called an appraisal clause. The appraisal clause section is devised to allow you to dispute the offer your insurance company is providing.

If you do not agree with the value your own company offers, your policy may include an appraisal provision. Appraisal processes vary. Check your policy or ask the claims representative or contact us for help.

Typically:

You get an appraisal (you pay).
The company gets an appraisal (it pays).
If the appraisers don’t agree on the value, the two appraisers agree on an umpire. You and the company each pay half of the umpire’s cost.

The first thing you need to do, is determine if it is a good decision to invoke your appraisal clause. LEVERAGE can help you by providing a free, no charge review of your total loss claim. This will provide you with the information to make a well informed decision as to whether you need to move forward with disputing your claim or not.

LEVERAGE specializes in Total Loss appraisals in Oregon and Washington. Unlike many large companies that use low generic staff to produce and negotiate your claim, with LEVERAGE, you get a highly qualified auto appraiser and negotiator to work with you to negotiate a fair claim so you can replace your vehicle, and move on with your life. Ken Nix works every claim himself to ensure we recover the maximum fair market value for you.

Why Hire Us?

Licensed Auto Appraiser for over 13 Years

Over 35 years Experience as a Professional Negotiator

Over 18 years Automotive sales Experience. Experience with all types of vehicles. Not just an ex estimator or adjuster.

Over 40 years of Automotive Experience

Professionally Trained One on One by Zig Ziglar, Grant Cardone, and Tom Stuker.

Worked with Hundreds of Dealer, GM's, and GSM's in Oregon, Washington and Idaho while employed with Reynolds and Reynolds.

Whether you're in Seattle, Bend, Eugene or Portland, Ken knows you're Used Car Market.

Vehicles We Sevice

We produce total loss appraisals for Acura, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Corvette, Dodge, Ferrari, Fiat, Ford, Freightliner, GMC, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Infiniti, International, Isuzu, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Mini-Cooper, Mitsubishi, Oldsmobile, Peterbilt, Plymouth, Pontiac, Porsche, RAM, Rolls Royce, Saab, Saturn, Scion, Shelby, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo.

As well as older Diesel 1 ton and 3/4 ton Trucks with Powerstroke, Cummins, and Duramax Engines. We also provide Sprinter Van, Ram Promaster, VW Camper Vans, and other Conversion Van Total Loss Appraisals.

We also work Total Loss Claim Disputes on other specialty vehicles such as Heavy Trucks, Semi Trucks, Motorcycles, Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, Collectible Vehicles, Exotic Cars, Motor Coaches, Work Vans, Commercial Vehicles, and many more.

WHO IS KEN NIX

Ken Nix is a local Oregon Certified and Licensed Vehicle appraiser since April of 2010 has been authorized by ODOT to appraise vehicles in Oregon for over 12 years.
Ken started in the automotive industry in the 1980s and has sold and appraised tens of thousands of vehicles including late model cars and trucks, Exotics, Muscle Cars, Street Rods, Vintage, Classics, Street Rods, Camper Conversions, and even Japanese right-hand drive vans while working for multiple franchises over 20 years. Ken is the independent appraiser chosen by Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo for independent vehicle assessments.
Previously employed by Diversiform and Reynolds and Reynolds. Ken worked with local Automotive Dealers, Sales, Service and Body shops to market vehicles. Hundreds of Dealership owners, managers, and staff know and trust him. Ken also worked with Lanphere Enterprises, and many other local dealers to provide digital solutions for automotive marketing.
Ken is the founder of Volkswagen Owners Club, My GTI, and Jetta Junkie and was an Administrator for Autoguide.com for over 10 years.
Ken’s wife jokes that sometimes she’s married to Liam Neeson because Ken has a very particular set of skills, skills he’s acquired over a very long career.

OREGON LICENSED AUTO APPRAISER for over 13 years

Ken has actual long term automotive sales, appraisal and negotiation experience. Beware long term businesses with inexperienced vehicle appraisers claiming decades of experience because a relative founded the business. Make sure your automotive appraiser has the real world experience to back up their claims.
Ken’s background in training salespeople on Product Knowledge, combined with auto body repair assessment experience and his computer background provides negotiating leverage over opposing appraisers. The ability to spot bad repairs from prior damage on an opposing appraiser’s comparables to discrediting salt state and flood damaged vehicles used by your insurance company’s valuations from CCC One and Mitchell / J.D. Powers to lowball your vehicle.
Expert Negotiator. Personally trained one on one by Zig Ziglar, Tom Stuker, and Grant Cordone. Over 45 years experience as a professional negotiator.
Ken’s Automotive, Computer Technology, Legal Reseach, and Negotiating background provides a very specific skill set that makes him a nightmare to opposing appraisers.

Recent Total Loss Claim Dispute Recoveries

G. Genauer – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: State Farm

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2014 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI
Offer: $16,174
Settled Value: $20,500
Increase: $4,326.00

S. Mead – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Geico

Prineville, Oregon
Vehicle: 5th Wheel Toy Hauler 2016 Keystone
Rv M-387 CARBON
Offer: $42,079
Settled Value: $51,700 – May 13, 2022
Increase: $9,621

S. Arkelian – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Progressive

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2018 RAM 2500 Laramie Crew Diesel 2500
Offer: $59,152.21
Settled Value: $65,625 – May 11, 2022
Increase: $6.472.79

M. Smith – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Liberty Mutual

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2003 Ford Super Duty F-250 King
Ranch Crew Cab
Offer: $14327.00
Settled Value: $19,995 – May 13, 2022
Increase: $5,668

C. Wilkinson – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Progressive

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2004 Toyota Tacoma 4 Door Crew Cab
Offer: $22,024.90
Settled Value: $31,500 – May 4, 2022
Increase: $9,475.10

K. Johnson – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Progressive

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 1995 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER
Offer: $20,653.83
Settled Value: $29,500.00
Increase: $8,846.17

LEVERAGE

Auto Appraisals

(503) 420-3001

Location

Portland, OR. 97225

Email

leveragepdx@gmail.com

Open Hours

Mon:8am – 8pm
Tue: 8am – 8pm
Wed: 8am – 8pm
Thur: 8am – 8pm
Fri: 8am – 8pm
Sat: 8am – 8pm
Sun: 8am – 8pm