Some insurance carriers will tell you there is a calculator or program for evaluating injury claims. This is misleading, but not completely without truth. Basically, your injury claim is worth what you would be awarded by an arbitrator or jury if it is litigated. That is the way that attorneys and insurance carriers should and do evaluate injury claims.
The Insurance Carrier’s Evaluation
Insurance carriers have used programs such as Colossus to evaluate injury claims. The insurance adjusters would put in data such as the medical bills, the nature of the injury, the type and duration of treatment, the level of damage to the vehicle, and the program would compute a value of the claim. I understand that this program was used 10-15 years ago and is no longer widely used. The insurance carriers do use software to scrutinize the injured person’s claims history and they do audit the medical bills and present arguments as to why the bills should be reduced. Sometimes they use auditing software, published guides, and expert analysts.
Whatever means the insurance carrier uses to evaluate your injury claim, they will present your attorney with a settlement offer based on their evaluation. If you are not represented by an attorney, the insurance carrier will typically make a low offer or ask you to sign a settlement agreement where they pay the bills and you get some in pocket amount. Do not fall for this! This is a scam and may leave you owing money to the providers or to your own health insurance! (For more information on this scam, see Don’t Trust the Insurance Company!! – HurtAZ.com | Arizona’s Car Accident Injury Lawyer.)
Your Lawyer’s Evaluation
After you are done treating a good injury lawyer will also discuss their evaluation of your claim. This is an experienced professional’s estimate of the value of your claim and is an important tool in discussing your claim and moving forward. Sometimes you and your lawyer may feel that the claim is worth more than the insurance carrier is offering. A good injury lawyer will then fight for more money for you. Sometimes this involves bringing some things to the attention of the insurance carrier to change their evaluation to have them pay more on your claim. An experienced injury lawyer will then negotiate and most claims will settle. Some claims need to be litigated, but having a lawyer makes it less likely that your claim will have to be litigated.
An experienced injury lawyer can change the insurance carrier’s evaluation and get the best possible result for you. There is no calculator for injury claims or “one size fits all” evaluations. There are really no two, three, or four times meds rules. An injury claim is evaluated based on the type of injury or injuries, the level of damage to the vehicle, the type and duration of treatment, loss of earnings, pain, suffering, trouble, and inconvenience, permanency of injuries, and many other factors. Having a lawyer is one of the best ways to make sure you get your medical bills paid for, don’t get stuck by the insurance carrier, and get compensation for your pain, suffering, and loss of income from time missed from work.
If you have been injured in an auto accident or from the negligence of another, don’t wait! I am here to help and have helped thousands of people to get paid when they are injured. Call, text or e-mail today!
