How do you find out how much money you will get in an insurance settlement?

Claims for material damage (damage to personal property for instance) are settled on an indemnity basis, meaning they aim to place you in the same financial situation prior to the loss occuring. i.e you will get market value for the property damaged. The best way to check market value of a car for instance is to check out local ads of cars for sale. You will need to compare the going rate for vehicles of the same make/model/age condition and mileage etc. The insurer will usually pay on this basis and deduct the excess usually £100 - £250 for most policies (check your insurance schedule for details of your excess) Once an offer of settlement is made you do not have to accept it if you think your property cannot be replaced for this amount. To successfully dispute an insurer's offer of settlement you will have to demonstrate usually with examples of sales ads showing items similar to your damaged property being sold for a higher amount in the market place.