An Umpire Valued My Totaled Yukon $12,500 Above GEICO's Offer

When my 2016 GMC Yukon XL Denali was totaled, I never imagined I would have to fight this hard just to be paid what my vehicle was actually worth.

Exactly one year before the accident, on December 9, 2024, I invested over $16,500 to replace the engine with a brand-new OEM engine. By the time of the crash on December 9, 2025, that engine had only about 6,000 miles on it. I kept every receipt because I believed maintaining my vehicle would matter if I ever had to make an insurance claim.

After the accident, GEICO declared my Yukon a total loss and offered me $18,460.

I immediately provided the invoice showing the new engine. They increased their offer to $21,878.41, but it was still nowhere close to what the vehicle was actually worth. It felt like they acknowledged the new engine existed but didn't give it anything close to the value it deserved.

Fortunately, my insurance policy included an appraisal clause.

I hired a public adjuster who made the process seamless and handled the dispute on my behalf. Unfortunately, the two appraisers couldn't come to an agreement, so an independent umpire was selected to make the final decision. After reviewing everything, the umpire determined that the actual value of my Yukon was $34,477.

That was more than $12,500 higher than GEICO's revised offer.

Without the appraisal clause, I almost certainly would have accepted thousands of dollars less than what my vehicle was actually worth.

Unfortunately, my experience also exposed another problem in Montana.

I wasn't able to use appraisal against the at-fault driver's insurance company because, as a claimant, I didn't have that right. Instead, I had to file the claim through my own insurance policy simply to gain access to the appraisal process.

That meant I had to carry a $2,000 deductible while the claim was being resolved. Even though I was clearly not at fault and the other insurance company accepted liability, my deductible still has not been reimbursed.

Consumers shouldn't have to file claims under their own policies, worry about potential premium increases, or wait indefinitely for their deductible to be returned simply because they need access to a fair dispute resolution process.

That's why I support Montana's Right to Appraisal legislation.

This bill would allow both insureds and third-party claimants to use appraisal when they cannot agree on the value of a loss. It creates a fair, independent process that helps resolve disputes without forcing consumers into lengthy legal battles.

I encourage insurance companies to come to the table and work with lawmakers to support meaningful consumer protections. If they choose not to, I hope this legislation moves forward because it puts Montana consumers first. My claim proves exactly why this bill matters. Without appraisal, I would have lost more than $12,500. Every Montana driver deserves the opportunity to have a fair, independent review when an insurance company gets the value wrong.