When another driver hits your vehicle, paying the collision repair invoice only satisfies half of the insurer's legal liability. The moment "Accident Reported" is logged on national vehicle history databases, wholesale dealer algorithms immediately discount your car's value by 12% to 18%. Under state tort law, the at-fault carrier owes you a separate settlement draft for that depreciation—provided you formally reject their internal "17c Formula."
| Subject Vehicle | Jurisdiction | Carrier | Initial 17c | Audited Settlement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Toyota RAV4 XLE | Texas (2-Yr) | State Farm | $447.00 | $3,680.00 |
| 2023 Ford F-150 XLT | Florida (2-Yr) | Progressive | $610.00 | $4,450.00 |
| 2021 Honda CR-V EX-L | California (3-Yr) | GEICO | $320.00 | $3,190.00 |
When you ask an at-fault insurance carrier for Diminished Value without submitting a structured forensic schedule, the adjuster runs your VIN through an internal worksheet known as the "17c Formula." Originating from a single 2001 first-party contract settlement in Georgia, the 17c worksheet applies three mathematical distortions that have zero statutory authority in third-party tort claims:
Before examining a single local dealership listing, the 17c worksheet multiplies your vehicle's NADA value by 0.10—arbitrarily decreeing that no vehicle on earth can lose more than 10% of its value after a collision.
Even if your vehicle required $7,000 in quarter-panel, bumper, and sensor replacements, adjusters classify anything short of a bent steel frame rail as "Minor/Moderate" (0.10 or 0.25), slashing the already-capped figure by 75%.
Your odometer mileage was already deducted when determining your vehicle's pre-accident NADA/KBB value. The 17c worksheet multiplies your loss a second time by a mileage bracket (0.20 to 0.60), reducing payouts to pennies.
You do not receive a generic e-book. You receive a self-contained valuation workstation (in both standalone browser and Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets formats) paired with four statutory demand briefs.
Normalizes three Clean-Title local retail comparables against three Accident-Reported local comparables at $0.18/mile, reconciled 50/50 with direct dealer wholesale trade-in quotes:
| Empirical Valuation Method | Pre-Loss Baseline | Post-Crash Value | Verified Stigma Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Method A: Mileage-Normalized Local Retail Comps (3x3) | $29,808.00 | $26,224.67 | $3,583.33 |
| Method B: Dealer Instant Trade-In Differential (CarMax/KBB) | $26,400.00 | $22,750.00 | $3,650.00 |
| FINAL RECONCILED INHERENT DIMINISHED VALUE DEMAND (EXHIBIT A): | $3,616.67 | ||
"1. Absence of Contractual Privity (Mabry v. State Farm Distinction): The '17c formula' originated solely as a temporary administrative mechanism for a single first-party contract class-action settlement in Georgia (Mabry v. State Farm, 2001). Even the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner subsequently issued an official directive clarifying that the 17c formula is neither mandatory nor endorsed for calculating diminished value. Because this claim is a third-party tort action governed by state property-damage law, your internal 10% cap carries zero legal authority.
2. Impermissible Double-Deduction of Mileage: My vehicle's odometer reading was already accounted for when establishing the pre-accident NADA/KBB valuation baseline. Multiplying the loss a second time by a 17c mileage bracket modifier constitutes an unlawful double deduction..."
| Valuation Audit Line Item | Insurer CCC Report | Audited Market Figure | Net Variance Owed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Base Retail Value (Local 35-Mi Comps vs Distant CCC Comps) | $21,400.00 | $22,650.00 | +$1,250.00 |
| 2. Reversal of Unsubstantiated "Condition Adjustment" Deduction | -$940.00 | $0.00 | +$940.00 |
| 3. Omitted OEM Factory Trim Options & Recent Maintenance Invoices | $0.00 | $1,770.00 | +$1,770.00 |
| 4. Mandatory State Replacement Sales Tax & DMV Title Fees | $0.00 | $2,015.00 | +$2,015.00 |
Insurance carriers rely on a simple behavioral bottleneck: most drivers will not gamble $495 out-of-pocket on an independent appraisal firm, yet unquantified emails get brushed off with the 17c worksheet. Form DV-928 eliminates that bottleneck:
| Evaluation Criterion | Pathway I: Unarmed Claimant Email | Pathway II: Independent Appraisal Firm | Pathway III: Form DV-928 Dossier (Yours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront Out-of-Pocket Cost | $0.00 | $395.00 – $595.00 | $29.00 (One-Time) |
| Valuation Methodology | None — adjuster defaults to unilateral 17c cap | 3 Local Comps + Dealer Trade-In Quote | 3x3 Mileage-Normalized Comps + Dealer Trade-In Penalty (Exhibit A) |
| Mabry v. State Farm (17c) Legal Rebuttal | Omitted | Generic boilerplate letter | Auto-Populated Statutory Tort Brief + 50-State Precedent Citations |
| Total-Loss CCC One / Mitchell Audit | Not Included | Costs an extra $350+ fee | Included (Exhibit B Line-Item ACV Counter-Schedule) |
| Typical Settlement Outcome | $0 – $450 (17c Lowball) | $2,400 – $5,200 (Minus $495 Fee) | $2,400 – $5,200 (Keep 100% of Payout) |
Runs in any browser on desktop or mobile. Auto-calculates Exhibit A & Exhibit B and formats sealed, court-ready PDF schedules.
.xlsx)Includes Executive Summary, 17c Simulator, 3x3 Mileage-Normalized Comp Engine, Trade-In Differential, and Adjuster Call Log.
Audits unfair Condition Adjustments, omitted OEM factory options, recent tire/brake invoices, and mandatory state sales tax.
Initial Demand, Formal Rejection of 17c (Mabry v. State Farm), Total-Loss ACV Counter-Demand, and Supervisor Escalation Notice.
Replaces upfront $395–$595 independent appraisal fees with a self-executing empirical valuation schedule and statutory rebuttal packet.
Yes. In all U.S. states, the Statute of Limitations for third-party tort property damage runs from the date of the collision for 2 to 6 years (2 years in TX, FL [post-3/2023], OH, PA, AZ, IN; 3 years in CA, NY, NC, CO, WA; 4 years in GA; 5–6 years in IL, VA, MO, NJ, MN). Provided you were not at fault and did not sign a release waiving depreciation, your claim remains open today.
In 49 states, Diminished Value is a third-party tort claim filed against the at-fault driver's insurance company (or under Uninsured Motorist Property Damage where permitted), because standard first-party collision policies contractually exclude depreciation. (Exception: Georgia allows both first-party and third-party Diminished Value claims under Mabry v. State Farm.)
No. While we include the 5-tab .xlsx workbook for Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets users, your download also includes our standalone Interactive Claim Studio, which formats and prints your Exhibit A/B PDFs directly from any computer or phone.
If your vehicle is financed (auto loan) or owned outright with a clean pre-accident title, you are the registered owner with standing to collect third-party Diminished Value. Note: If your vehicle is leased, the leasing bank holds title and residual value (so lessees generally cannot claim DV unless buying out the lease or obtaining a lessor assignment), and vehicles with pre-existing salvage/rebuilt titles do not qualify.