Posted On: April 3, 2008 by David Payne

Branson West Car Accident Lawyer ~ Even More Questions That Bother Them SO

Monett Injury Law Aurora Car Accident Attorney Cassville Auto Insurance Claim

Okay, I've hired an attorney, now what? How is a decision made regarding whether to accept a settlement offer out-of-court or go to trial?

You will meet with our personal injury lawyers to discuss together what would be best for you and your family. Any attorney worth his salt will not to make the decision for you, but to assist you and help to evaluate the offer and provide the information to you, based on our attorneys' years of experience handling personal injury cases in Missouri.

What is the process the insurance company and the insurance adjuster will use when deciding how much money to offer, at least initially? What is the criteria they use to make in its initial offer?

Most insurance companies major insurance providers in Missouri use computer software to determine the value of auto and truck accident cases. Yes, a COMPUTER! The most prolific is one used is Colossusand this computer program values accident cases for insurance companies. Colossus is believed to be used by more than 50 percent of the nation's claims insurance adjusters. 4999%2C1206336071%2C1.jpg
Many of the other insurance companies who don't use Colossus, use a similar program. These programs are designed to minimize the risk of the insurance company and pad their bottom line.

What attorneys must do is provided the best and most DOCUMENTATION to the adjuster so the the adjuster can then feed the monster, Colossus, with the info it needs to spit out a higher number than it would have otherwise.

Essentially, the insurance company inputs the data it receives: relevant medical records, proof of lost wages, the severity of the accident, and where the accident occurred--all based on documentation provided to the adjuster, most of which comes from your attorney.

The computer might give a higher value for a case in Greene County or Jackson County than it would, for example, for the same case in Ozark County or Dade County. It also inputs the taxpayer ID number of your personal injury lawyer which determines if your accident lawyer has a history of taking cases to verdict in Missouri or whether they simply settle all of their cases. Colossus looks to your injuries as described in your medical records, even the way you doctors and health care providers "code" you injuries has a great way of adversely manipulating the monster the Colossus is. One of the most important questions is regarding permanency of your injuries--if proven, permanent injuries have great value to Colossus. Colossus also gives higher values for objective injuries measured by diagnostic testing rather than soft tissue injuries which often involve subjective medical findings

This Colossus calculator does give value for muscle spasm (Colossus gives particular weight in cases without a defined objective injury), restriction on movement, radiating pain, anxiety and/or depression, headaches, dizziness, and any visual disturbance. Colossus also gives higher value to cases where the patient went to the hospital for initial treatment of the injuries.

Colossus then generates a range of settlement values for that case. The problem with Colossus : it does not grasp the complexity of human beings and allow for subjective information. There is no computer program that can ascertain the specific value of a person's pain and suffering, how an injury really impacted a person's daily and future life. There is no way a computer can answer this question.

This is why your attorney must adequately and persuasively articulate why your injures are different. Prepare fight and file a lawsuit, if needed. When your accident lawyer files a lawsuit, sometimes the insurance companies do give a second look to the real trial value of the case, particularly when they know that the accident lawyers handling the case are willing to go to trial.