Motor claims
Total Loss, Market Value and Salvage in Türkiye
Compare the market valuation, damaged-vehicle treatment and the actual net offer.
Read the Turkish guide →
01 / LEGAL PREPARATION
Start with the valuation date and the actual vehicle
A total-loss disagreement often starts with a market figure, but the figure is meaningful only when the vehicle and valuation date are clear. Record the model, version, age, mileage, equipment, maintenance and condition before the event. Keep the report explaining why the vehicle is treated as a total loss. A technical assessment of damage and a market valuation answer different questions. Advertised prices may be useful comparison material, but a listing with different mileage, equipment or condition is not automatically an equivalent. Explain those differences and retain the dated evidence. A request to review the offer should identify the assumptions that are disputed, rather than presenting an unconnected collection of the highest asking prices. The appropriate calculation depends on the policy and the documented facts of the particular vehicle.
02 / LEGAL PREPARATION
Make the salvage arrangement explicit
Establish who is expected to retain the damaged vehicle and what value is attributed to it. An offer may assume that the insurer or a buyer takes ownership, or that the owner keeps the remains and a value is deducted. Those arrangements can produce different net results even when the headline market value is the same. Obtain the proposed transfer documents, valuation and payment breakdown together. Record the date and any conditions attached to a salvage offer. Do not treat an informal statement about a potential buyer as a completed transfer. If the owner is expected to make a sale separately, identify the agreed price, responsible party and relationship with the insurance settlement. The review should compare what is promised with what the owner is required to do and what will actually remain payable.
03 / LEGAL PREPARATION
Separate the gross value from the net payment
Use a comparison containing the assessed market value, deductible, salvage treatment, previous payment, other deductions and net amount. Add the explanation and source for each entry. A figure described as the total compensation may exclude an item that the client expected to be included. Read the full offer and any accompanying release before deciding what it resolves. Repair invoices, towing, storage and other expenses should not be silently absorbed into the valuation without examining their basis. Some expenses may raise a separate contractual or responsibility question. A net-payment table does not establish legal entitlement on its own, but it makes disagreements visible. The office can then distinguish a valuation challenge from a disagreement about ownership transfer, covered expenses or the effect of a previous settlement.
04 / LEGAL PREPARATION
Hypothetical comparison: identical headline, different obligations
Imagine two proposals both stating the same pre-accident vehicle value. One requires transfer of the damaged vehicle and lists a net payment. The other allows the owner to retain it but deducts a stated salvage value. Comparing only the first number would conceal the difference. The file should show the vehicle disposition, payment conditions and any costs arising from the transfer. If a salvage buyer later offers less than the amount assumed in the proposal, preserve the communications and identify who undertook the sale risk. This is a hypothetical review method, not a valuation of a real vehicle. It helps explain why the complete written offer, damaged-vehicle arrangement and report are needed before a total-loss settlement can be assessed.
05 / LEGAL PREPARATION
Prepare a focused challenge or settlement review
State which part of the offer is disputed: market comparisons, vehicle condition, salvage, a deduction or the settlement wording. Associate each point with its evidence. Ask for the underlying report where it has not been provided. Keep the application, attachments and delivery record together with the insurer’s reply. If the dispute remains, assess the suitable arbitration or court route and its requirements. Ownership transfer and payment sequencing should be addressed in any proposed settlement. A signature on one document may have implications beyond accepting a market figure, so retain the complete text for review. The purpose of the legal work is to analyse the request and the obligations against the policy and evidence; no proposed arrangement should be treated as a guaranteed recovery before that assessment.
PRIMARY REFERENCES