National Toll Free: (877) 655-1661|Email: request@autoloss.com|Hours: Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–4 p.m. PT · Sat 7–10 a.m. PT
Nationwide · All 50 states
State law · VT
Vermont courts measure car damage by the market-value difference just before and just after the crash, and allow evidence of the car's value as repaired, so an owner can try to prove lost value against the at-fault driver. A 2011 state insurance bulletin says insurers must review and adjust diminished value claims, including from their own policyholders, unless the policy specifically says otherwise.
Claim against the at-fault driver
Allowed by case law
Claim against your own insurer
Depends on your policy
Time limit to sue for property damage
3 years
Insurance regulator
Reviewed by Monica Fisher, Owner, Licensed Auto Appraiser and Court Expert Witness — appraisal perspective, not legal advice
Last reviewed
Vermont law
Third-party claim
Allowed by case law
The Vermont Supreme Court's 'usual measure' is the before/after market-value difference, and evidence of repair cost and of 'the value of the automobile as repaired' is admissible (Kinney, 1965, quoting Purington, 1946). No modern Vermont appellate decision specifically on post-repair diminished value was found. Bulletin #164 also requires insurers to weigh third-party claimants' DV information.
Authority: Kinney v. Cloutier, 125 Vt. 109, 211 A.2d 246 (1965); Vermont Insurance Division Bulletin #164 (Aug. 10, 2011)
First-party claim
Depends on your policy
Insurance Division Bulletin #164 (2011) says that, absent specific policy language to the contrary, an insurer must review and adjust an insured's diminished value claim and use a fair, articulable method. It does not say every policy covers DV; wording controls, and no Vermont court ruling on first-party DV was found.
Authority: Vermont Insurance Division Bulletin #164 (Aug. 10, 2011)
Case law
Vermont Supreme Court · 1965
125 Vt. 109, 211 A.2d 246 (1965)
Quoting Purington v. Newton (1946): the usual measure of damage to a car is the market-value difference immediately before and after the accident; evidence of reasonable repair cost and of the car's value as repaired is admissible. A bare repair estimate without proof of necessity or reasonableness was insufficient.
Status: treatment unclear: Old case; citators not checked.
Vermont Insurance Division Bulletin #164 (Aug. 10, 2011): Claims made for diminution of value
Relying on 8 V.S.A. §§ 4723 and 4724(9)(F), insurers must, absent contrary policy language, review and adjust diminished value claims, consider information from insureds and third-party claimants, and articulate a fair method.
12 V.S.A. § 512(5): Three-year limitation
Actions for damage to personal property caused by another's act or default must be commenced within three years.
12 V.S.A. § 511: General six-year limitation
Civil actions not otherwise provided for, including most contract actions, must be commenced within six years.
12 V.S.A. § 1036: Comparative negligence
A plaintiff's negligence does not bar recovery for property damage if not greater than the defendants' total negligence; damages are reduced proportionally.
23 V.S.A. § 800(a): Maintenance of financial responsibility
Owners and operators must carry at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash for injury, and $10,000 property damage.
Researched September 30, 2026. General information from an appraisal perspective, not legal advice.
Autoloss in VT
We serve Vermont from your repair order, photos and records, the same way we serve every state. A typical diminished-value appraisal is $250–$350, typically 24–48 hours after all required information is received.
Other states
The claim review is free: we look at your situation and tell you whether an appraisal is likely to help. The appraisal itself is a paid report. We help from start to finish, including a custom demand letter, and our support staff is a phone call away throughout the process.
