Your car is worth less after an accident, even repaired perfectly. This is the 17c formula insurers use — with every line of the math printed, so you can check it.
Reviewed August 24, 2026 · methodology · changelogThe low end is the insurer-standard 17c result; the high end reflects what independent appraisals commonly find. Educational estimate, not an appraisal or legal advice.
Insurers rarely volunteer diminished value — you usually have to claim it. When they do calculate it, most use the 17c method, and every input is visible in the calculator above:
The 17c result is the floor, not the truth. Independent appraisers regularly find diminished value 30–60% higher because the 10% cap and the mileage haircut have no basis in how used-car buyers actually price accident history. If the 17c number for your car is meaningful money, an independent appraisal (typically $300–$500) often pays for itself many times over.
Diminished value is the gap between what your car was worth before the accident and what it's worth after being repaired. Even a perfect repair leaves an accident on the vehicle history report, and buyers pay less for a car with an accident history.
17c is the calculation most insurers use, named after the paragraph in a Georgia claims settlement where it first appeared: pre-accident market value × 10% cap × a damage modifier (0 to 1) × a mileage modifier (0 to 1). It's insurer-friendly — the 10% cap and stacked modifiers push the number down — which is why our result shows the 17c figure as the low end of a range.
It depends on your state. Most states let you claim diminished value from the at-fault driver's insurer (a third-party claim). Only a minority — Georgia is the clearest example — require your own insurer to pay diminished value on a first-party claim. Check your state's rule before filing.
No. This is an educational estimate using the industry-standard formula. If your claim is worth pursuing, a licensed independent appraiser's report is what carries weight in negotiation.