Your next steps after a total-loss notice
Keep the immediate costs moving while you assemble the evidence needed for a sound decision.
First: locate the vehicle and the deadlines
Confirm where the vehicle is, its daily storage rate, who authorized payment and when that payment may stop. Ask how to release it and preserve photographs and personal belongings safely. Also confirm the rental authorization and end date. A continuing value discussion does not automatically extend either deadline.
Second: get the complete file
- Written total-loss notice and itemized offer.
- Full valuation with comparable and adjustment pages.
- Your policy and appraisal provision if using your own coverage.
- Vehicle identification, mileage, equipment and pre-loss records.
- Loan or lease payoff information and any owner-retention proposal.
Third: identify the claim route
With your own policy, an appraisal provision may offer a process for resolving a value disagreement. In a claim against another driver, you generally do not acquire their contractual appraisal rights. A report can support your demand, but you or your attorney handle the third-party claim.
Fourth: send corrections in writing
List factual errors first, attach the supporting evidence and ask for a revised calculation. Keep all versions. If the difference remains, compare the scope and fees of an independent appraisal with the issue in dispute. Do not treat an advertised guarantee as proof of a likely result.
Finally: read what you are signing
Check whether a document transfers ownership, accepts an undisputed amount or releases additional claims. Ask about the effect on unresolved issues. The right next step depends on the policy and facts, not simply on how urgently the insurer wants a signature.
Sources and further reading
Reviewed October 11, 2026. Check your policy and current state guidance. Educational information, not legal advice.
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