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:

  1. Obtain an auto appraisal (at your expense).
  2. Your insurance company conducts its own appraisal (at its expense).
  3. 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?

  1. 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.
  2. 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. 
  3. 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.
  4. How much more can I get? My average increase this year, is $5,768.19 or 44.78 percent of the vehicle’s value. .
  5. 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.

Washington
Melissa Ramsey
Response from the owner:Thank you for the 5-star rating! I truly appreciate your support. I'm glad we were able to secure a **$2,752 increase** on your **2021 Subaru Crosstrek** claim. Every dollar counts when dealing with an undervalued settlement, and in addition to the increase, your insurance company was also required to **reimburse you for the cost of our appraisal**. If you ever need assistance with another appraisal or have any questions about the process, don’t hesitate to reach out. Your trust means a lot! —Ken
Washington
S D
I recommend Ken Nix at Leverage Auto Appraisals without hesitation. He was able to negotiate an additional $2,245 in compensation from my insurance company after I had exhausted all my personal resources/negotiations (+ the insurance company paid my fee to retain him). This was for a totaled 2013 VW Golf in March 2024. I was thrilled with the outcome and it was a hassle-free process. He was a thoroughly professional expert throughout and exceeded my expectations.
Response from the owner:Thank you so much Stormie for the awesome review. I really appreciate you taking the time to do that. That was an insane dispute. It's crazy how these insurance companies can use appraisers from Kansas that have no idea of our market. They give them the Lion's share of their business and they have fear of loss of that business if they don't do what they're told. I made a suggestion to the Insurance Commissioner over 10 years ago that it would be more fair if they required an insurance company to go down a list of local appraisers willing to do appraisals rather than giving a few big companies the lion's share of the business. I feel this may not eliminate the corruption in the industry, but it would curtail it significantly. Thank you so much for choosing me as your auto appraiser. Ken
Washington
Yosef Damena
I had an excellent experience with Leverage Auto Appraisals! Ken Nix and the team was professional, efficient, and incredibly knowledgeable. They provided a detailed, accurate appraisal of my vehicle and made the entire process seamless. The communication was clear, and they really took the time to explain everything to me. I highly recommend their services if you’re looking for reliable and trustworthy auto appraisal experts!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your kind words and for trusting Leverage Auto Appraisals! I’m thrilled to hear that you had such a positive experience. We take pride in providing detailed, accurate appraisals and ensuring our clients fully understand the process. Clear communication is a priority because insurance claims can be confusing, and too many companies take advantage of that lack of knowledge. I’m glad we could make the process seamless for you. If you ever need assistance in the future, whether it’s another appraisal or just advice on dealing with insurance claims, don’t hesitate to reach out. Your recommendation means a lot, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Thanks again! —Ken
Washington
Cesilia Torres
Ken was very helpful and transparent of the next steps and ways to pursue my claim. When I called his team requesting assistance on my out of state claim Ken return my phone call in a couple minutes and answered any question I had and continued to let me know if additional questions were raised to contact him.

Ken helped ease some stress and confusion I had and I greatly appreciate all the help
Response from the owner:Thank you, Cesilia! It was a real pleasure helping you through this process. I know out-of-state claims can come with a few extra wrinkles, but I’m glad we could simplify things and get you the clarity you needed. Fast communication and clear next steps are a big part of how we support our clients, so I’m thrilled to hear that made a difference for you. We are here for Oregon drivers and beyond, whether it is an insurance value dispute or just figuring out what to do next. Don’t hesitate to reach out again if anything else comes up. We are just a phone call away. Kind regards, Ken
Washington
Dave Andrews
Ken delivered as advertised and I can confidently recommend him. He was able to get us 5k over the insurance offer. I plan to use him again.
Washington
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!!
Washington
Jim Babbitt
Leverage Auto Appraisals and Ken Nix come highly recommended. When our pickup was totaled, Progressive insurance initially offered a settlement of $20,000. The vehicle's value was known to be higher, but navigating the insurance process can be difficult.
Ken at Leverage Auto Appraisals provided expert assistance. He navigated the insurance process on the our behalf. Though the negotiation with Progressive took about a year, Ken's persistence led to a successful outcome. He negotiated a $26,000 settlement for the totaled truck, significantly higher than the original offer. I believe the key for us, in the negotiations, was to have patients and give Ken the space operate.
Ken was knowledgeable and communicative. If facing a total loss claim and believing the insurance company's offer is too low, consider contacting Ken at Leverage Auto Appraisals.
Washington
Aaron Lilak
Ken did a great job negotiating settlement on our total loss Chevy Bolt. Before hiring Ken, Liberty Mutual offered $9500 and then I found several nearly identical cars for around $15-16k and tried to negotiate with Liberty Mutual by sending them a list of comps....this resulted in only about a $600 increase and a lot of frustration from the insurance company claims adjuster and appraiser playing good cop/bad cop with me and insurance company playing games like lowering claim amount by an EV credit I don't even qualify for. I then told insurance company that I would invoke appraisal clause in policy and hired Ken and he negotiated settlement of $15,500 (almost a $5K increase from what I managed).

There is a law in Oregon that if the appraisal increases from insurance offer by even $0.01 that insurance company must reimburse you for the appraisal, so Liberty Mutual also got stuck paying Ken for his service and my total cost for Ken's service was $0. Only downside is that the process takes a couple weeks.....that's probably part of the game where insurance company hopes you just sign whatever they put in front of you. I will recommend Ken to everyone that I know who is in a similar position in the future.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Aaron! You did all the right things—gathering comps, pushing back, and invoking the appraisal clause when Liberty Mutual started playing games. I’m really glad I could help bring your claim up from their $9,500 lowball to a proper $15,500. That $5,000 difference isn’t just numbers—it’s peace of mind and a real-world win. And you're absolutely right about Oregon law. Because the final settlement exceeded Liberty’s offer by more than a penny, they had to reimburse you for the full appraisal cost. I’ll never stop reminding folks—when done right, the appraisal clause doesn’t cost the consumer anything in the end. Thank you for putting your trust in me, and I’m grateful for your recommendation. Kind regards, Ken
Washington
Mary Theophanes
Ken was amazing and got my husband and I $2,000 more than State Farm initially offered us for our 2015 Honda Civic. It really made the difference in shopping for another vehicle. Thank you Ken!!
Washington
Sandy DeBano
Ken at Leverage Auto Appraisers is truly amazing. I was ready to give up in despair dealing with my claims specialist at State Farm, who was undervaluing our 2010 Toyota Highlander (which State Farm totaled after we hit a deer). Ken was a straight shooter, is extremely knowledgeable about the entire convoluted process, and helped every step of the way. Getting the appraisal from Ken was unexpectedly easy and fast (once State Farm assigned their appraiser, which took several weeks). Ken is a a pro and has real integrity! And he saved us over $2000!!!
Washington
Nikki Graybeal
Ken did a great job. He increased my settlement considerably and made it all super easy. He's a genuinely nice guy helping people by providing a much needed service.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the great review! I’m glad I could **significantly increase your settlement** and make the process easy for you. State Farm, like many insurance companies, often undervalues vehicles, but I’m committed to ensuring my clients get what they truly deserve. Also, per **Oregon law OAR 836-080-0240**, **State Farm was required to reimburse you 100% of the appraisal fee**, so not only did you receive a higher payout, but your appraisal costs were fully covered as well. I appreciate your kind words and for trusting me with your claim. If you ever need help again, don’t hesitate to reach out! —Ken
Washington
Angelina Loredo
Ken is the absolute best. He’s nice to work with and works hard to get you a better payout. These insurance companies are swindlers and he evens the playing field. My car was stolen but he accepted affirm so I was able to pay his fee in installments. Totally worth it because he got me double what the insurance company was offering for my stolen vehicle! Now they also have to reimburse me for the money I spent on Ken’s services as well.

If you are wondering if it’ll be worth it, give him a call and he’ll look over your case and tell you if he thinks he can get you more.
Response from the owner:Don't know if I am the best, but I do my best to work for my clients. Thank you for taking the time to write a review Angel, and for choosing me as your auto appraiser. - Ken
Washington

 

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?

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Licensed Auto Appraiser for over 13 Years

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Over 35 years Experience as a Professional Negotiator

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

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Over 40 years of Automotive Experience

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

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

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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

Oregon Total loss auto appraiser Ken Nix, specializing in Total Loss Appraisals for vehicles.

  • 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 Nix's current Oregon Auto Appraisers Certification and License issued by ODOT

  • 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

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