Vehicle Damage Assessment

Driver reporting the damage to the insurer by phone after an accident

Damage assessment for vehicles, working machines and equipment

A damage assessment is the technical determination of the extent and the cost of damage to a vehicle, a working machine or a piece of equipment. It decides how much you receive, whether a repair is economically justified, and whether the claim is finally settled correctly.

What a damage assessment covers

We determine which parts are damaged, which can be repaired and which have to be replaced, how much labour is required, and how the damage affects the value of the vehicle. Everything is supported by photo documentation and a calculation that can be followed step by step.

Which damage we assess

  • Damage to cars, trucks, buses, trailers and motorcycles
  • Damage to construction and agricultural machinery and to working equipment
  • Damage caused by an accident, a natural event, fire, theft and vandalism
  • Damage to electric and hybrid vehicles, including the traction battery

How we work

  1. Collection of the vehicle and claim documentation
  2. Inspection and recording of the condition found, with photo documentation
  3. Determination of the repair scope, spare part prices and labour times
  4. Check whether the damage matches the described course of events
  5. Preparation of the report with a documented methodology

When an independent report is needed

  • The amount offered appears clearly too low
  • A total loss has been declared and the calculation is disputed
  • The insurer deducts for wear of the parts
  • The course of events or the liability is disputed
  • The report is needed for court proceedings

Partial damage and total loss

A total loss is declared when the repair costs exceed a certain percentage of the vehicle value before the event, or when the repair is not technically justifiable. In that case the repair amount is not paid out, but the difference between the value before the damage and the salvage value. Both figures come from a valuation, so both can be reviewed.

Hidden damage

In more severe accidents, some damage only becomes visible once the vehicle is dismantled. Deformation of the load bearing structure and damage to the cooling system, the steering or the electronics often stay undetected during a surface inspection. That is exactly why a vehicle should be assessed before the repair starts.

Diminished market value after the repair

Even after a professional repair, a vehicle permanently loses value because it has been damaged. We calculate this amount separately, because it is claimed as a separate item and is frequently left out of the settlement.

When the course of the accident is disputed

If the damage does not match the accident as described, we check the plausibility and reconstruct the sequence of events. This includes the analysis of traces and photographs and, on newer vehicles, reading the data stored in the vehicle.

What our report contains

  • Identification of the vehicle and the owner
  • Description of the condition found, with photo documentation
  • List of the damage with a repair or replacement decision for each item
  • Spare part prices, labour times and total costs
  • Vehicle value before the damage and, where relevant, the salvage value
  • Explanation of the methodology applied

What you should do immediately after the damage

  1. Photograph the final position of the vehicles and the surroundings before you move anything
  2. Photograph all damage from several angles
  3. Secure the police report or the European Accident Statement
  4. Do not start the repair before the damage has been assessed

Remote video assessment

For clients who cannot bring the vehicle in for an inspection, we have developed the video assessment. You receive a link, you allow access to the camera and the microphone, and our expert guides you live through the recording of the damage. No app has to be installed. A phone with a camera, a stable internet connection and a well lit parking space are enough.

When a video assessment is enough

  • clearly visible external damage to the bodywork, the glass and the lights,
  • small and medium damage with no suspicion of damage to the load bearing structure,
  • when you need a quick orientation before deciding on a repair,
  • clients outside Belgrade, for whom travelling would extend the procedure.

In more complex cases, when hidden damage is suspected, when a total loss is possible or when the course of the accident is disputed, we require a physical inspection. We tell you that straight away, before we continue.

Where we work on site

Our office is in Belgrade, but our work is not limited to the city. We regularly cover the whole of Vojvodina and the wider Belgrade area, as well as Valjevo, Aranđelovac, Topola, Velika Plana, Smederevo, Požarevac and Niš with the surrounding region.

We have an employed expert in Novi Sad, a colleague in Niš and a team in Belgrade, so appointments in these areas are arranged without a long wait. For places outside this list, get in touch, a solution can usually be found, and where travelling is not reasonable we suggest the video assessment. If a foreign vehicle was involved or the damage happened abroad, the procedure works a little differently.

What determines the price

We do not have a single price per case, because cases differ considerably. The price depends on:

  • Distance and location: an inspection in Belgrade and an inspection in the interior of the country are not the same amount of work.
  • Urgency: a report on the same day means rescheduling appointments that are already booked.
  • Complexity of the case: damage to one vehicle and the reconstruction of a multiple vehicle collision are not comparable.
  • Type of vehicle: a car, a truck, a bus, a motorcycle, a working machine or a combine harvester each require a different amount of examination.
  • Type of report: a short report on the amount of damage and a detailed report with a documented methodology for court proceedings are not the same thing.

You receive the price before the work starts, and it does not change afterwards, unless the scope changes with your prior agreement. If the inspection shows that more work is involved, we inform you first and wait for your confirmation.

Contact us

Do you need a report that holds up for a vehicle, a working machine or equipment? Call +381 65 357 57 33 or write to office@pro-expert.rs. Office Monday to Friday 08 to 16, call centre and assistance all seven days 09 to 17.

Frequently asked questions

That depends on the extent of the damage and on how quickly the documentation is available. We confirm the exact deadline when we agree the job, before the work starts.

Yes. We cover the whole of Vojvodina and the wider Belgrade area, as well as Valjevo, Aranđelovac, Topola, Velika Plana, Smederevo, Požarevac and Niš with the surrounding region.

Our reports contain a documented methodology, photo documentation and comparable market data, which is why they are used in proceedings against insurers and in court.

Yes, but it is harder. We need photographs of the damage taken before the repair, invoices and a list of the parts fitted and the work carried out.

Yes. We assess construction and agricultural machinery, forklifts, excavators, combine harvesters and similar equipment, taking operating hours, condition and the market situation into account.

Yes. With the video assessment you receive a link, you allow access to the camera and the microphone, and our expert guides you live through the recording of the damage. For clearly visible damage that is usually enough. For more complex damage, when damage to the load bearing structure is suspected or when a total loss is possible, we require a physical inspection and we say so straight away.

The price depends on the distance, the urgency, the complexity of the case, the type of vehicle and the type of report you need, so it cannot be quoted as a flat rate. If you describe the case to us, you receive the price before the work starts, and it does not change afterwards unless the scope changes with your prior agreement.