After a car accident, many people expect the at-fault driver’s insurance company to pay a fair settlement. Unfortunately, insurers often do the opposite. They employ tactics designed to minimize payouts, leaving injured people struggling with medical bills, lost wages, and stress.
Understanding how insurance lowballs car accident claims can help you protect yourself. At The Boyle Law Firm, we know these tactics well.
For the first decade of his career, Bill Boyle represented insurance companies and at-fault drivers. That insider experience gives our team unique insight into how insurers think and why they undervalue cases. We use this knowledge to fight for fair compensation for our clients across Colorado.
If you have any questions about your car accident claim, don’t navigate this alone. Get clear answers by calling us at (720)-379-5480 or contacting us online for a quick chat.
Common Tactics Insurance Companies Use
Insurance companies are profit-driven businesses. Their goal is to pay as little as possible on every claim. Some of the most common lowball insurance tactics include:
- Quick settlement offers. Insurers know you are worried about your finances after an accident and will try to make an appealing offer. Accepting early means signing away your rights before you know the full extent of your injuries or future expenses.
- Questioning medical treatment. Another strategy is to argue that your medical treatment was unnecessary, excessive, or unrelated to the accident. This tactic reduces the amount they must pay for your healthcare costs.
- Shifting blame. Insurers sometimes try to assign blame to you, even when the other driver was clearly at fault. Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule, which reduces your compensation if you are found partially responsible.
- Using your statements against you. Adjusters may ask for recorded statements or casual conversations about the accident. They then use your words to argue that your injuries are minor or that you admitted fault.
- Downplaying pain and suffering. Noneconomic damages such as pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life are harder to quantify. Insurance companies routinely undervalue these harms to reduce settlement amounts.
Recognizing these strategies is the first step in protecting yourself from unfair treatment. The more you know about the ways insurers try to minimize claims, the better prepared you are to respond with strong evidence and legal support.
What to Do If Insurance Offers a Lowball Accident Settlement
Receiving a settlement that does not come close to covering your costs is frustrating and stressful. If this happens, you still have options, including:
- Do not accept the first offer. Most initial offers are far below what the claim is worth. Politely decline and request justification for how the insurer calculated the number.
- Gather strong evidence. Collect medical records, photographs, witness statements, and employment records showing lost income. Detailed evidence strengthens your case and forces the insurer to take your claim more seriously.
- Keep communication professional. Do not let frustration lead to heated exchanges with adjusters. Stay calm, stick to the facts, and use written communication to create a clear record.
- Consult an attorney. You may be wondering what to do if insurance offers a lowball accident settlement. Speaking with an attorney can help you counter them effectively.
At The Boyle Law Firm, we negotiate directly with insurers, present compelling evidence, and, if necessary, file a lawsuit to pursue fair compensation.
How to Negotiate a Car Accident Settlement in Colorado
Negotiating with an insurance company can be intimidating. The following approach can help you achieve a better outcome:
- Understand the value of your claim. Your claim’s value depends not only on medical bills, but also on lost wages, reduced earning capacity, property damage, and pain and suffering. An attorney can help you calculate the true value of your claim.
- Present a demand package. A demand package includes a detailed letter explaining your damages and supporting evidence. A strong package sets the stage for productive negotiations.
- Be prepared for counteroffers. Insurers often respond with counteroffers that are lower than your demand. Counteroffers are part of the process, and patience is key.
- Consider litigation. If negotiations stall, filing a lawsuit may be the next step. In Colorado, you generally have three years from the accident date to file a lawsuit, and shows the insurer you are serious about pursuing your rights.
Negotiating takes patience, persistence, and strategy. Understanding your claim’s true value and backing it up with strong evidence improves your chances of securing a fair settlement. Experienced legal representation often differentiates between an unfair offer and meaningful compensation.
Why Lowball Offers Happen Frequently in Colorado
Colorado drivers must only carry minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. These limits are often too low to cover serious injuries, hospital stays, and long-term care. Insurers use this to their advantage by offering settlements that appear to match available coverage, even if your damages exceed those amounts.
Colorado’s modified comparative negligence system gives insurers another way to reduce payments. If they show you were even partly responsible, your compensation is reduced by that percentage. For example, being found 20% at fault would reduce a $100,000 settlement to $80,000.
Insurers also count on accident victims not realizing the full value of their claims. Without legal guidance, it is easy to overlook future costs like follow-up surgeries, rehabilitation, or reduced earning capacity. This lack of information makes it easier for insurers to push low offers that seem reasonable at first glance.
These combined factors leave many Colorado drivers and passengers vulnerable to unfair settlement practices. An experienced attorney can evaluate your damages fully, push back against unfair fault assignments, and ensure you do not overlook all available sources of compensation.
Why Choose The Boyle Law Firm?
Dealing with insurers alone can be overwhelming. You need an advocate who understands both insurers’ tactics and the challenges accident victims face.
At The Boyle Law Firm, we provide:
- Nearly 25 years of personal injury litigation in Colorado;
- Insider knowledge from years spent representing insurance companies;
- Proven results, including multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts;
- Recognition from Super Lawyers and Martindale-Hubbell; and
- Personal attention, with direct access to your attorney throughout your case.
We know how to negotiate a car accident settlement in Colorado, and we are not afraid to take insurers to court when they refuse to be fair.
Take the Next Step Toward Fair Compensation
Insurance companies have teams of adjusters and lawyers working to protect their profits. Knowing how insurance lowballs car accident claims helps you recognize unfair treatment, but does not make the process any less stressful.
We draw on decades of experience and insight into insurance tactics to protect our clients. We fight to ensure you are not pressured into an unfair settlement and that you recover the compensation you need to move forward.
Contact us online or call us at (720)-379-5480 today for a free consultation and learn how we can help you.
