Software, not sympathy
Major insurers use claims software (Colossus, Claim IQ, and proprietary tools) that scores every claim on dozens of variables. The output is a target settlement range. Adjusters negotiate within that range, not based on what is fair but on what the software generated.
Variables that matter
The biggest drivers are the type of injury, the medical specialty that treated you, the length and intensity of treatment, whether surgery was performed, whether permanent impairment is documented, your age, your county, and the demographics of the venue.
How to push back
A well-prepared demand package — with detailed medical narratives, vocational reports, expert opinions, and visual evidence — can move the score upward. So can the credible threat of litigation backed by an attorney's actual trial record.
When the number won't move
If the insurer's offer is unreasonably low, the only effective answer is filing suit. Filing converts the case from a claims department file into a litigation file and changes who controls the negotiation on the insurer's side.