How to organize a vehicle subrogation recovery file

Keep the chronology and the dollars together

Start with a one-page timeline: date of loss, inspections, estimate versions, teardown, supplements, repair completion or total-loss decision, payments and responses. Use a separate ledger that ties each claimed amount to an invoice, valuation, receipt or payment record. Do not mix a proposed amount with a paid amount without labeling the difference.

Organize the file in five groups

1. Claim and responsibility: claim identifiers, parties, vehicle information, incident materials and relevant correspondence.
2. Damage: photos, inspection notes, initial estimate, supplements and technical support for contested operations.
3. Value: total-loss report, vehicle configuration, market evidence and the calculation used when the vehicle was not repaired.
4. Expense and downtime: invoices, rental or substitute-vehicle records, business-use records where relevant, and evidence of reasonable mitigation.
5. Payment and response: payment ledger, proof of payment, prior demand, adverse response and a list of reductions still in dispute.

Answer each reduction on its own facts

For a disputed labor operation, point to the estimate line, photo and repair procedure. For a valuation reduction, identify the vehicle detail or comparable adjustment in question. For downtime, separate the dates from the economic support. This makes it easier to see what evidence is missing and avoids burying the strongest issue in a general disagreement.

When to request a review

If the other side disputes repair operations, vehicle value or documented expenses, send the current demand, response and source documents. TrueAuto can identify technical gaps and organize an evidence-backed package within the agreed scope.