- Anthony Lopez

   Your Insurance Attorney

When your vehicle is involved in an accident, its market value drops — even if every dent is fixed and every part is replaced. This permanent loss in value is known as diminished value. Potential buyers, dealerships, and trade-in programs will always see the accident on your vehicle's history report, and they will always pay less because of it.

In Florida, if the accident was caused by another driver's negligence, you have the legal right to pursue a diminished value claim against the at-fault driver's insurance company. This compensation is separate from your repair costs — it covers the gap between what your car was worth before the crash and what it's worth after repairs.

Insurance companies routinely ignore or undervalue diminished value claims, hoping you won't pursue what you're owed. That's where we come in. Our attorneys have the experience and resources to calculate your vehicle's true loss in value and fight to recover every dollar.

Even after repairs, your vehicle is worth less than it was before the crash. That loss is called diminished value — and in Florida, you have the right to recover it. Our attorneys fight to make sure you do.

Florida courts have long recognized the right of vehicle owners to recover diminished value from the at-fault party. Unlike some states that restrict these claims, Florida allows not-at-fault drivers to pursue the full diminished value of their vehicle through the at-fault driver's bodily injury and property damage liability coverage.

Important: First-Party vs. Third-Party Claims

In Florida, diminished value claims are typically pursued as third-party claims — meaning you file against the at-fault driver's insurance, not your own. This is a critical distinction, because most Florida auto policies do not cover first-party diminished value. Our attorneys know exactly how to structure and pursue your claim for the maximum recovery.

Insurance companies are not required to voluntarily offer diminished value compensation. In most cases, they won't mention it at all. They will repair your car, close the claim, and move on — leaving thousands of dollars on the table that rightfully belong to you. Having an experienced diminished value attorney ensures that the insurance company cannot shortchange you or dismiss your claim outright.

The value of your claim depends on several factors, including the age, mileage, and pre-accident condition of your vehicle, the severity of the damage, and the quality of the repairs. Newer vehicles and those with lower mileage typically generate higher diminished value claims because their pre-accident value is greater and the impact of an accident on resale value is more significant.

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