Total Losses and the Right to Appraisal

- What Collision Repairers Need to Know - 

When an insurer declares a vehicle a total loss-or when the shop and insurer disagree over the cost of a proper repair-the insurance company’s number is not always the final word.

Mike Harber will discuss how the Right to Appraisal (RTA) works in first-party auto claims and how it can be used to resolve disputes over the amount of loss, including both total-loss values and repair-cost disputes.

The presentation will cover how to recognize when a customer’s total-loss settlement may be undervalued, common problems in insurer vehicle valuations, the important differences between first- and third-party claims, and when appraisal may be an appropriate dispute-resolution tool.

Mike will also discuss diminished value and the role collision repairers can play in helping customers understand that additional rights and resources may be available to them.

The goal is not to turn collision repairers into adjusters or appraisers, but to give shops practical information to recognize these situations, protect their customers, and know when to refer the customer for professional assistance.

Speaker Bio - Mike Harber,Harber Appraisal

Mike Harber has more than 40 years of experience in the automotive collision repair, appraisal, insurance claims, and vehicle valuation industries. He owned and operated Stroud’s Auto Rebuild in Tacoma for 25 years and has been a licensed automobile dealer since 1987.

Mike holds the Associate in Claims (AIC) professional designation from The Institutes, earned through an extensive course of study in insurance claims handling.

He is currently licensed as both a Public Adjuster and Independent Adjuster in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

Through Harber Appraisal, Mike specializes in automobile property claims, including total losses, repair-cost disputes, appraisal-clause matters, diminished value, and loss of use.

Mike has served as an appraiser and expert witness in automotive damage and valuation disputes and has testified in both state and federal court proceedings.

His experience as a collision repair shop owner, automobile dealer, appraiser, Public Adjuster, and Independent Adjuster gives him a unique perspective on the issues that arise between vehicle owners, repair facilities, and insurance companies when the amount of loss is disputed.


Date: November 10th, 2026
Time: 12pm to 1pm 
ZOOM ONLY: 
JOIN: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83017669846