AI DamageIn a dispute over post-accident repairs, the winner is not the one who argues loudest but the one with the better calculation. The document on the cost of restoration repair is the central piece of evidence: it drives both the insurance payout and the difference that can be claimed from the at-fault driver.
Types of documents
| Document | Prepared by | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Insurer's estimate | The insurer or its loss adjuster | Calculating the insurance payout. Often disputed by the victim |
| Valuation report | A licensed appraiser commissioned by a party | Pre-trial claim, lawsuit, negotiations |
| Expert opinion commissioned by a party | A certified forensic expert; the party files it with the claim or the response | Evidence in court on a par with other evidence |
| Court-ordered expert opinion | An expert appointed by the court | When the parties disagree on the scope or cost of repair |
| Workshop defect list and invoice | The workshop repairing the car | Actual costs and hidden damage found after teardown |
What the calculation must include
- Vehicle data: VIN, year, mileage, trim. Part numbers depend on the trim: headlights, bumpers for radar, sensors.
- A list of damage with photos: what to replace, repair and paint. Each line must match the photos.
- Parts prices with source and date, and the type of parts: original or aftermarket.
- Labour hours and the regional workshop hourly rate, cost of paint and materials.
- Hidden damage is usually not visible at inspection. It is added after teardown as a supplement to the calculation (see Risks behind the outer panel).
- For a total loss: the market value before the accident and the salvage value.
How the court weighs these documents
An expert opinion has no predetermined weight for the court: it is assessed together with other evidence. An opinion prepared at a party's request is admissible if it meets the procedural requirements and the expert is warned of liability for a knowingly false opinion. In 2026 the Supreme Court of Ukraine rejected the argument that an automotive expert opinion commissioned by the plaintiff is inadmissible merely because a party ordered it.
Typical weak points that get attention: inspection without teardown, prices without a source, parts not visible on photos, and a calculation that does not match the nature of the impact.
How to challenge someone else's calculation
- Compare the parts list with the photos: what is missing, what is extra.
- Check the prices: original or aftermarket, current date, exchange rate.
- Check labour hours and the hourly rate for your region.
- Submit your own expert opinion or a motion for a court-ordered automotive examination with specific questions.
- If the car is already repaired, actual workshop invoices are strong evidence of the real cost.
Practical tips
Keep the damaged parts until the dispute ends, or at least photograph them with their markings. Do not repair the car before the insurer and the appraiser inspect it, otherwise the damage will be hard to prove. Repair components and parts prices in Ukraine are covered in Repair scope and components and Parts prices in Ukraine.
Sources
- Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine: expert opinion, expert examination commissioned by a party, assessment of evidence
- Methodology for merchandise expertise and valuation of road vehicles (Order of the Ministry of Justice and State Property Fund No. 142/5/2092 of 24.11.2003)
- Resolution of the Supreme Court of Ukraine of 10.06.2026, case No. 761/24807/21