About Eric Ryckman

25+ years on both sides of the collision claim

I’ve spent more than two decades in collision repair and auto insurance claims — turning wrenches in shops, settling thousands of claims at GEICO, running multi-shop operations, and building global data systems at Tesla. That range gives me something most appraisers don’t have: I know what makes a repair safe, what makes a claim fair, and what the data actually says about vehicle values.

How I got here

I started turning wrenches at Miller Metal Body Shop in Baltimore in 1999, while I was still at Mergenthaler Technical School — full-frame replacements, engine work, welding, refinishing. That’s where I learned what a collision repair actually looks like at the metal level, and I’ve never stopped using that knowledge.

The GEICO years — learning claims from the inside

In 2001 I joined GEICO as a claims adjuster and stayed for 13 years. Most of that time I was out in the field across the Mid-Atlantic — Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and the DC metro — handling thousands of claims end-to-end. Adjusting total losses. Coordinating salvage returns and auction sales. Processing titles with MVA and DMV. Settling repair disputes with shops. Handling the customer side from first notice of loss to final payment. I eventually moved into management, overseeing a geographically distributed team of adjusters and consistently passing internal audits at one of the highest rates in the company.

In my 13th year I was brought into GEICO’s Chevy Chase headquarters to work alongside company leadership — including Tony Nicely before he retired, and senior leaders in Claims Home Office. I joined the Competitive Advantage Leadership Group (CALG), GEICO’s internal process-improvement team, where I trained in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies and co-developed “Fixed Optimization,” an appointment scheduling system that materially improved adjuster efficiency. I also helped design an internal Android app that adjusters still used years after I left.

Thirteen years of settling claims across the DMV, capped by a year at the CEO’s table, gave me something no appraiser gets from a textbook: I know exactly how insurers value vehicles, where they cut corners, and what language their systems respond to.

Back to the shop side

In 2014 I went back into collision repair. At Severn Auto Body I helped launch a Tesla-certified collision program and started writing automations for the CCC One estimating system — small scripts that did the boring work so estimators could focus on the technical side. At MileOne Auto Group I ran a $5M fixed-ops P&L across parts, collision, and service, with certifications spanning BMW, Mercedes-Benz, VW/Audi, Toyota, and Honda.

When our industry faced its talent exodus — techs leaving for other trades, estimators retiring, apprenticeship pipelines drying up — I doubled down. I kept studying, kept certifying, and stayed because I wanted to be here when things got better.

The Tesla years

In 2023 I joined Tesla as Senior Program Manager of Collision Estimatics. My job was the data backbone that connects Tesla’s parts catalog to every major estimating system in the world — CCC One, Mitchell, Audatex. I shipped Cybertruck repair data before most people had seen the truck in person, worked with validation labs on repair procedures, and collaborated with pricing teams on labor rates that balanced profitability with predictability.

It was an incredible learning experience. I got to see how data infrastructure works at global scale, how OEMs think about repair costs, and how estimating systems talk to each other — or fail to. I also learned what happens when you get laid off in a 15% headcount reduction. No hard feelings — business is business — but it reminded me why I started Ryckman Appraisals in the first place: to help people get fair outcomes when the system isn’t built for them.

Expert witness and trial-ready work

Insurance disputes end up in court more often than people expect. When they do, the appraiser’s work is either going to hold up or fall apart — and the difference is almost always in the documentation.

I’ve testified as an expert witness in Maryland and worked with attorneys on hundreds of cases. Every appraisal I write is built as if it’s going to be cross-examined. Comparables are verified. Methodology is cited — regression-based valuations, Maryland case law where applicable (Taylor v. King, Fred Frederick, Kruvant), severity adjustments with narrative support. When attorneys hand my reports to opposing counsel, I want the other side to read them and decide the case isn’t worth fighting. That happens more often than you’d think.

What I do today

I wear two hats. I’m currently the COO of Chesapeake Collision, a multi-location MSO in Maryland where I run operations across our Randallstown, Glen Burnie, and Huntingtown facilities. And I continue to operate Ryckman Appraisals independently — providing appraisals, consulting, and expert testimony to clients, attorneys, and shops across the Mid-Atlantic.

The two roles feed each other. Running shops keeps me current on what repairs actually cost, what OEM procedures require, and how estimating systems evolve. The independent work keeps me sharp on the claims side — valuation methodology, diminished value, litigation support. Every client gets the benefit of both.

What my dad taught me

I lost my father a few winters ago. He taught me to work hard, stay honest, and do the right thing when nobody is looking and nobody will ever see your work. That ethic is how I run every appraisal. The report reads the same whether it’s going to a claims adjuster, an attorney, or a judge — because the work was done the same way regardless.

Why I do this

Insurance companies are good at what they do. They have data, systems, and entire teams dedicated to minimizing claim payouts. Most vehicle owners have none of that. They get one lowball offer, accept it because they don’t know better, and move on.

I know how insurers value vehicles because I worked for one. I know what makes a repair complete because I manage the shops that do the work. I know what defensible documentation looks like because I’ve built it, testified to it, and watched it hold up. When someone hires Ryckman Appraisals, that’s what they’re getting — all of it, focused on one outcome.

Credentials

B.S. Business Management — University of Maryland Global Campus
I-CAR Platinum Certified — Property Damage Claims Appraising & Repair Estimating
ASE-Certified Technician
Former GEICO Property Damage Claims Subject Matter Expert (CALG, Chevy Chase HQ)
Former Tesla Senior Program Manager, Collision Estimatics
Current COO, Chesapeake Collision (Maryland MSO)
Expert witness, Maryland jurisdictions

Outside of work

I live in Maryland with my wife and kids. When I’m not appraising or running shops, I’m usually building something — AI tools for estimators, custom dashboards, automation scripts. I built CollisionRepairAI.com to help estimators write supplements that don’t get rejected. Same mindset I bring to appraisals: use data and technology to get the outcome right.

Let’s talk

If your insurance company handed you a lowball offer, or you’re not sure your vehicle was repaired correctly, I can help. No sales pitch. Just data, documentation, and results.

Email: eric@ryckmanappraisals.com
Phone: (240) 334-7570
Service Area: Maryland and the broader Mid-Atlantic

Ryckman Appraisals. Fair claims. Real data. Results you can count on.