How State Farm undervalues claims
Valuation engine: Audatex Autosource
- State Farm uses Audatex Autosource and tends to weight private-party comps lower than dealer comps, depressing ACV.
- State Farm adjusters often refuse to consider regional dealer asking prices unless explicitly cited.
- Trim and option mismatches are the most common — and most reversible — errors in State Farm reports.
- State Farm will typically reopen the file once a credentialed independent appraisal is submitted.
Maryland laws on your side
Appraisal clause
Maryland auto policies include the binding appraisal clause.
Sales tax & title fees
Insurers must include the 6% vehicle excise tax and title fees in the settlement.
Diminished value
Maryland permits third-party DV; first-party limited.
Statute reference
COMAR 31.15.07 (Unfair Claims Settlement Practices).
How State Farm calculates ACV in Maryland
In Maryland, State Farm runs every total-loss valuation through Audatex Autosource. The system pulls roughly 7 "comparable" listings within a 155-mile radius of your ZIP code, then applies a base value before stacking deductions. For Maryland claims, State Farm adjusters tend to subtract $1,200–$1,900 as a "condition adjustment" based on photos rather than an in-person inspection, and they almost always omit factory option packages (navigation, premium audio, tow package, advanced safety) that boost ACV in the Maryland private-party market. Insurers must include the 6% vehicle excise tax and title fees in the settlement, but State Farm's first offer in Maryland frequently leaves that line item blank until you push back. The comp radius, the condition deduction, and the option-package omission are the three places where Maryland drivers consistently recover thousands once an independent appraiser re-runs the numbers.
Maryland case study: +$2,880 on a 2022 Chevy Silverado
A metro Maryland client came to us after State Farm offered $20,750 on a 2022 Chevy Silverado totaled in a rear-end collision. The Audatex Autosource report pulled comps from outside the local market and missed two factory option packages. We rebuilt the valuation using Maryland-specific dealer asking prices, corrected the mileage adjustment, and added the omitted options. State Farm revised the offer to $23,630 — a $2,880 increase — within 19 days, without invoking the appraisal clause. Representative example; outcomes vary by VIN, condition, and policy language in Maryland.
Case details have been generalized to protect client privacy.