--- title: "Car totaled? Have your AI agent make the follow-up calls" description: "After a total loss there are calls to the adjuster, the salvage yard and your lender. Your AI agent makes them, asks what's missing, and patches you in when needed." url: https://callforme.tel/use-cases/total-loss-claim published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: CallForMe team, Great Work LLC --- # Car totaled? Have your AI agent make the follow-up calls > Give your agent the insurer, the claim number, the car and what you want to know. CallForMe calls the adjuster, the salvage yard holding the car, or your lender, works the phone menu and the hold, and asks where things stand: the settlement amount, whether the title and keys arrived, which signatures are missing, and when the payoff goes out. If someone needs to verify you, it patches you in. **Say to your agent:** "Call Lakeside Insurance about claim CL-448210, my totaled 2021 Honda CR-V. Ask the adjuster whether they've received the title and both keys, what paperwork is still missing, and when the settlement will be paid. If they need to verify me, patch me in at 214-555-0147." A totaled car turns into a week of phone tag. The adjuster says they're waiting on the title. The salvage yard says it has the car but not the keys. The lender says it hasn't seen the check. None of it is hard, but every call is a menu, a hold and a claim number read out loud. That part your agent can do. ## The calls, and what to ask | Who | What to ask | |---|---| | Adjuster | The valuation and how it was reached, the settlement amount, what's still missing (title, keys, signed forms, a lien letter), when payment goes out and to whom | | Salvage yard or auction holding the car | Whether the car, the title and both keys arrived, whether personal items are still inside and how to pick them up, their hours | | Lender, if there's a loan | The payoff amount and its good-through date, whether the insurer's payment arrived, when the lien release goes to the insurer | | Rental counter, if your policy covers one | When the rental coverage ends, and whether it extends while the claim is open | ## What your agent does 1. **find_business** if you don't have the number. For an insurer, the claims number on your claim letter or app usually reaches the right department faster than the main line. 2. **place_call** with the claim number, the car and your name in the request, and your phone in `transfer_to` in case they need you:
What your agent sends (for developers) ```json { "phone": "+12145550123", "business_name": "Lakeside Insurance claims", "goal": "Ask the adjuster about total-loss claim CL-448210: whether they've received the title and both keys, what paperwork is still missing, and when the settlement will be paid. If they need to verify the policyholder, connect Sam.", "details": "Claim CL-448210. Totaled 2021 Honda CR-V. Policyholder Sam Ortiz.", "questions": [ "Have you received the title and both keys?", "What paperwork is still missing?", "When will the settlement be paid, and to whom?" ], "on_behalf_of": "Sam Ortiz", "transfer_to": "+12145550147", "max_cost_usd": 8 } ```
3. **get_call** with `wait_seconds: 50`, repeated. Claims lines often hold for 10 minutes or more. ## Example result Illustrative example: the insurer, names and amounts are made up. | Question | Answer | |---|---| | Title and keys received? | Title yes, one key; they need the second key or a note saying there isn't one | | Paperwork missing? | Signed power of attorney (sent by email on Oct 28) | | Settlement | $18,450, paid to the lender first, the rest to Sam, 3 to 5 business days after the form arrives | Call length 14 minutes, $5.80. ## Tips - **Keep the claim number in the request.** It's the first thing every one of these lines asks for. - **Call the yard before you drive there.** Ask about personal items and hours; many salvage yards only release items at set times. - **Ask the lender and the adjuster the same question.** "When did the payment go out?" and "When did it arrive?" settle most stalls. - **Leave out your Social Security number and passwords.** CallForMe never says them on a call. If they're needed, `transfer_to` brings you in. ## What it costs $1 per answered call, including the first 2 minutes, then $0.40 a minute, 30-minute cap. A line that doesn't answer costs nothing. ## Related - [Check an insurance claim status](/use-cases/insurance-claim-status) - [Hold, then patch you in](/guides/ai-agent-hold-and-patch-in) - [Keep long-hold calls on a budget](/guides/ai-phone-calls-on-a-budget) - [Call insurance agents](/call/insurance-agents) - [Pricing](/docs/pricing) ## FAQ ### Which calls come up after a total loss? Usually three: the adjuster (valuation, settlement, what's missing), the salvage yard or auction that picked up the car (title, keys, personal items left inside), and your lender if there's a loan (payoff amount and when the insurer's check arrived). Each one is a phone menu and a hold, and they often point you at each other. ### Will the insurer talk to an assistant about my claim? Many will share status once they have the claim number. Some verify the policyholder first. With transfer_to, the assistant waits through the menu and hold, then connects you to verify, so you only pick up once a person is on the line. ### Can it sign or agree to the settlement for me? No. It asks and writes down the answers. Accepting an offer, signing a title or a power of attorney, and anything that needs your identity are yours to do. It can ask how to send them and where. ### What does a long hold cost? $1 for the first 2 minutes after someone answers, then $0.40 a minute, up to 30 minutes ($12.20). Set max_cost_usd if you want a lower ceiling, or use transfer_to so the call hands off to you when a person picks up. ## Related - [Can AI make phone calls for me?](https://callforme.tel/guides/can-ai-make-phone-calls-for-me.md) - [Changelog: what's new, newest first](https://callforme.tel/docs/changelog.md) - [Using AI to make phone calls when you hate the phone](https://callforme.tel/guides/ai-calls-for-phone-anxiety.md) - [Can Claude make phone calls? How to give Claude a phone](https://callforme.tel/guides/give-claude-a-phone.md) - [Cancel car insurance by phone without a gap in coverage](https://callforme.tel/use-cases/cancel-car-insurance-by-phone.md)