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 142 reviews

Andy Davis

Ken knows his stuff. He provided a free telephone consultation during which he essentially promised he would get me a better deal than what the insurance company was offering, and he 100% delivered. Based on how the law works in Oregon, if the appraiser gets you even a nickel more than the insurance company offer, the insurance company has to pay for your appraiser, so Ken's work on my behalf netted me about 25% more than the insurance company offer, and his work didn't cost me a nickel. I would 100% putting your trust in this man.

Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind words Andy. They've definitely made it hard on me lately. So many of these insurance companies are now hirig out of state large appraisal firms that have million dollar contracts with the insurance companies. So few ethical appraisers we're working with now days. Even after I spend hours researching some of their comps and showing why they shouldn't be used, they just change the comps and manipulate them another way. I've been doing this for nearly 15 years professionally, with over 4,000 total loss claims. Up until 3 months ago, I had only had 27 times that an opposing appraiser came in under the Market value from the insurance company. In the last 3 months, I've had 19. that says something about the way they're handling claims lately. I think it's mostly due to the high losses over the past few years, but with some I think it's just a cash grab. Thank you again for taking the time to write a review. I really appreciate it. I just wanted to add one last thing. According to the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation, you can not receive less than the last offer. I've been having a lot of clients tell me their adjusters said that if we came to a determination that the value was less than the last offer, they could actually get less. This is not true. Only in the event there was fraud or something significant such as the mileage was rolled back, etc. could this happen. 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.

Dave W

Ken at Leverage did an outstanding job for us, the insurance company was trying to low ball the value of my daughter's Sienna van that was totaled by someone running a stop sign. Insurance comany's offer was ridiculous. I tried fighting them myself and got nowhere, they just shut me down. But Ken stepped in and got us almost 40% more, and the insurance had to reimburse me for his cost. Ken is a very pleasant guy, extremely knowledgable about his business, and great to work with. He definitely goes to bat for his customer, and he does not take a percentage of the settlement like most the other appraisers do. Highly recommend him. And he's a fun and interesting guy to talk to!

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

Beau Loid

Ken is a straight shooter. No BS. Very impressed with the service. I will definitely be using him in the future if needed. Thanks Ken!

Justin Matthews

If you’re at all on the fence, I could not recommend more having Ken and the team at Leverage auto help you get the most out of your total loss.
Ken got me over $4,000 more out of my auto claim (140% of what my insurance offered me! Took me from 10k I was offered to 14k my car was actually worth). Plus in Oregon if your settlement increases at all, insurance has to reimburse you for all his costs. So at zero cost to me, I got a huge monetary increase.
From start to finish, Ken explained the process to me, kept me updated, pushed my insurance to move much faster than they would have otherwise, and really helped me feel like I was appropriately compensated after a hit and run.
Anyone and everyone who experiences a total loss should use his services. I will always go to him in the future if anything like this happens again, and would tell friends and family to do the same.
Thanks to everyone at Leverage, and especially Ken!

Caleb Gilson

Ken Nix does an awesome job, great communication, great guy. He has negotiated with insurance values on two vehicles for me now. Wouldn't go to anyone else. He got me 4-5k more both times, dont let insurance lowball your cars value. Reminder: Oregon law requires insurance to reimburse your costs for an appraisal for just a penny in raised value and he will get it for you, so don't hesitate.

Ryan R

I had a tricky auto claim with my insurance. Ken spent lots of time working on our claim and negotiated a 14% higher appraisal award!

Response from the owner:Thank you for sharing your experience! This was definitely a tricky claim, and the negotiation with the opposing appraiser was particularly tough, but I’m glad we were able to secure a **$7,006 increase**—bringing your total settlement from **$47,056.80 to $54,063.00**, a **14% higher appraisal award**. It’s also important to mention that if you had used the **"FAIR"** company, they would have charged **$300 upfront** for the appraisal and then taken **15% of the increase**—which in your case would have been an additional **$1,050.90**. That means you would have lost **$1,350.90** from your final settlement, and **Progressive would have only been required to reimburse you for the $300 appraisal fee**. The rest would have come straight out of your pocket. In my personal opinion, I feel this is akin to a **bait-and-switch scam**—they lure people in with a low initial fee, but once they secure an increase, they take a significant percentage of the payout. Meanwhile, they market themselves as a no-risk option, when in reality, clients end up paying far more than they should. By choosing me, you **kept 100% of the increase**, and **Progressive was required to reimburse you for the full cost of our appraisal** as per **Oregon law OAR 836-080-0240**. That’s how it should be—fair, transparent, and in the best interest of the policyholder. I appreciate you trusting me to fight for a fair valuation, and I’m glad we could achieve this strong result. If you ever need assistance again, don’t hesitate to reach out. Thanks again for your review and for choosing me to handle your claim! —Ken

Dat Nguyen

Faced with a total loss from USAA for hail damage they have been trying to undercut me on everything from my vehicles worth to the repairs that would be needed. For those reading this and are suffering from the Insurance companies abuse of power you aren't alone. Mr. Nix, who has been working my case fought and awarded me with 2k extra in my cars evaluation.
While not only fighting for me as a client he is very informative and knowledgeable on all kinds of cases. He has helped me understand the situation and going beyond what is required to help make sure things get settled properly. Even with my appraisal being settled he is further helping me fight USAA to do the right thing, for this I am truly grateful to hear a voice that cares.
11/10

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.

Gabe Ritter

Ken is the absolute best in the business and a pleasure to work with. A true professional and knows his stuff. I highly recommend using him to get you the absolute best price for your total loss vehicle. He knows all the ins and outs of the insurance business. Do yourself a favor and hire him.

Response from the owner:Gabe, thank you so much for the generous review! You were such a pleasure to work with—truly one of the kindest folks I’ve had the chance to help. I appreciate your trust and your words more than you know. I’m glad we could put my knowledge of the appraisal clause and insurance world to good use and get you the result you deserved. It means a lot that you’d recommend me so highly. You made the process smooth and enjoyable, and I’m always here if you or anyone you know needs help down the road. Kind regards, Ken

Michael Fletcher

Ken did with the insurance company, what we could not do, and that was get a "fair" (maybe not what we hoped for, but fair) value for very low mileage 2013 VW Golf, during a ridiculously busy time
with appraisers due to the recent on-slot of hurricane-damaged cars. He was patient in explaining the process and helpful in coming to a resolution with the insurance company.

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