What this video covers
- First offers are rarely the final number
- Know your claim's realistic settlement range
- Understanding value protects your negotiating power
Video summary
Many injury victims accept the first offer from an insurance company without realizing it's rarely the company's final number.
Insurers typically open negotiations at a fraction of what they're prepared to pay—sometimes 30 to 50 percent below a reasonable settlement range.
Here's what most people don't know: insurance adjusters have internal valuations of your claim based on medical records, lost wages, and injury severity.
Transcript
Many injury victims accept the first offer from an insurance company without realizing it's rarely the company's final number. Insurers typically open negotiations at a fraction of what they're prepared to pay—sometimes 30 to 50 percent below a reasonable settlement range. Here's what most people don't know: insurance adjusters have internal valuations of your claim based on medical records, lost wages, and injury severity. That opening offer? It's often a test to see if you'll settle quickly without pushback. A safer approach is to get a realistic range estimate before responding to any offer. This range comes from understanding your actual damages—not from guessing. When you know what similar cases have resolved for in Colorado, you can evaluate whether an offer is genuinely fair or just a lowball starting point. Don't mistake a first offer for a final one. Insurers expect negotiation. Accepting without understanding the true value of your claim is the mistake that costs people money they're legally entitled to recover. Knowing your claim's reasonable range protects you in those crucial first conversations.