How Motor City Auto Appraisers Helped One Cadillac Owner Get $12,000 More from Their Insurance Company

When your car is totaled, the last thing you want is to be lowballed by your insurance company. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s been happening more frequently since the COVID-19 pandemic. What most drivers don’t realize is that they don’t have to accept the first offer. In fact, you could be leaving thousands of dollars on the table if you do.

That’s where Motor City Auto Appraisers steps in.

We’ve helped thousands of Michigan car owners fight for what their vehicles are truly worth—and win. In one recent case, a client with a 2023 Cadillac Escalade received an initial insurance payout offer that was shockingly low. Thanks to a free valuation and expert support from our team, they walked away with $12,000 more than what the insurance company originally offered.

Watch the Real Breakdown

In this video, our founder Marty Ruth walks you through the exact process he used to help that Cadillac owner come out on top. Line by line, he shows how insurance adjusters often miss—or outright ignore—critical value-boosting details.

From overlooked factory upgrades to condition deductions that don't hold up under scrutiny, Marty exposes just how flawed (and biased) some of these insurance estimates can be.

As Marty says, “The devil is in the details.” And when it comes to total loss claims, those details can mean a difference of thousands.

Why Are Insurance Payouts So Low Now?

Since the pandemic, insurers have quietly shifted their approach to total loss valuations. There’s been an increase in unpublished “tariffs” and vague condition penalties—many of which are arbitrarily applied with little to no explanation. These changes allow insurance companies to save big—often underpaying claims by up to 20%—while policyholders foot the bill.

And here’s the kicker: most people don’t even know they have options.

What You Can Do

If your vehicle has been declared a total loss and the offer doesn’t seem right, don’t go it alone. You have the right to dispute the payout by invoking the appraisal clause in your policy. This allows you to bring in an independent expert—like the team at Motor City Auto Appraisers—to assess your vehicle’s real value.

We’ve been doing this for years, and we don’t take cases unless we believe we can win them. Every client starts with a free vehicle valuation—no strings attached. If we believe you’re being lowballed, we’ll help you fight back. If not, we’ll tell you straight up.

Don’t Settle for Less Than You Deserve

Before you sign off on a payout that may be thousands less than what your car is worth, give us a call. You’ve got nothing to lose—and possibly $thousands$ to gain.

Call 586-217-3606
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Motor City Auto Appraisers – Michigan’s Trusted Total Loss Experts.