In an attempt to come up with a dollar value for an accident claim, many insurance companies turn to the computer program Colossus for assistance. The program performs a calculation to attribute severity points to claims. The system counts the points and then converts them to a dollar value. The problem for accident victims, however, is that the system is flawed because it is skewed to favor the insurance companies.
How Colossus Can Harm Your Auto Accident Settlement
What are some of the ways that Colossus underestimates the value of car accidents claims for the benefit of the insurance company? The following is an overview of the issues:
- The program labels injuries as either “objective” or “subjective.”
- The program treats soft tissue injuries as subjective. Soft tissue injuries also happen to constitute the majority of insurance claims.
- The program looks unfavorably upon chiropractic treatment. Unfortunately for accident victims, chiropractors typically have the largest billings for soft tissue cases.
- The program allows the adjuster to determine which medical expenses are necessary and reasonable.
- The program considers whether your attorney has a record of taking his or her cases to court for inferior settlement offers versus accepting the highest offer given by the insurance company.
- The program factors in the jurisdiction in which the claim arises.
- The program does not take into consideration such factors as the stress, pain, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium associated with the accident.
In addition to Colossus, there are many aspects of a car accident settlement that an insurance company does not want you to know about as the accident victim. For this reason, it is crucial to have an experienced attorney in your corner when considering a settlement or pursuing a claim. We are here to help. We encourage you to contact us today at 1-800-350-8888 to schedule a free consultation.
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