5 Mistakes Tennessee Drivers Make After a Total Loss (And How to Avoid Them)

Getting the call that your car is a total loss is stressful enough. What makes it worse is that most drivers unknowingly make decisions in the first few days that cost them thousands of dollars. Here are the five most common mistakes we see — and what to do instead.

Mistake #1: Signing the Release Right Away

This is the big one. Your insurance company sends over a settlement offer and a release form, and the instinct is to get it over with and move on. But the moment you sign that release, your claim is closed. You cannot come back and ask for more money, even if you later discover the offer was thousands below your vehicle’s real value.

What to do instead: Take a breath. You have time. Request the insurer’s valuation report first and do your own research before you sign anything.

Mistake #2: Not Requesting the Insurer’s Valuation Report

Your insurance company is required to provide documentation of how they calculated your vehicle’s Actual Cash Value. Most drivers never ask for it. When you do review it, look closely at the comparable vehicles they used. Are they the same year, make, model, trim, and mileage as yours? Are they in the same condition? Are they actually for sale in Tennessee? Adjusters sometimes use comparables from other markets or with lower trim levels that don’t reflect what your vehicle was actually worth.

What to do instead: Request the report in writing. Review every comparable they listed. If the comparables don’t match your vehicle, that’s your opening to push back.

Mistake #3: Assuming the First Offer Is Final

Insurance adjusters are trained to present their offer as the definitive conclusion of a thorough valuation process. It isn’t. It’s a starting point, and you are not required to accept it. Tennessee law supports your right to dispute a total loss settlement and to invoke the appraisal clause in your policy, which gives you the right to an independent appraisal of your vehicle’s value.

What to do instead: Treat the first offer as an opening position. Research comparable vehicles on AutoTrader, CarGurus, and Cars.com. If the gap between their offer and real market value is significant, it’s worth pursuing.

Mistake #4: Returning the Rental Car Too Soon

Most policies cover a rental vehicle while your claim is being resolved. Many drivers return the rental as soon as they receive the settlement offer, assuming the process is over. If you’re still in a dispute over the value of your vehicle, you may still be entitled to rental coverage. Returning it prematurely also signals to the insurer that you’ve accepted the situation — which weakens your negotiating position.

What to do instead: Keep the rental until the claim is fully resolved. Check your policy for the rental coverage limits and don’t give it up until you’ve signed a release you’re satisfied with.

Mistake #5: Not Getting an Independent Appraisal

This is the mistake that costs the most money. An independent vehicle appraisal — conducted by someone who works for you, not the insurance company — is the single most effective tool for disputing a low total loss offer. It gives you a documented, market-supported value for your vehicle that the insurance company has to respond to. Without it, you’re negotiating on their terms, with their numbers.

What to do instead: Before you accept any total loss offer, contact Tennessee Damage Appraisal Company for a free preliminary assessment. We’ll tell you upfront whether the gap between the insurer’s offer and your vehicle’s real value is large enough to justify a formal appraisal. If it’s not, we’ll tell you that too. Flat fee, no contingencies, no surprises.

The Bottom Line

Nearly one in four auto claims resulted in a total loss in 2025 — a record high. With that many vehicles being written off, insurance companies are processing these claims at volume. That’s not an environment designed to maximize your payout. It’s an environment designed to move claims through the system quickly.

Slow down. Ask questions. And before you sign anything, call us.

Tennessee Damage Appraisal Company: (615) 200-8488 | damageappraiserstn.com. Serving Nashville, Murfreesboro, Franklin, and all of Middle Tennessee.