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A Colossus Mistake

Posted on January 26th, 2010 by The Firm

Colossus is a claims evaluation software program used by 25% of the insurance companies to assist with determining the settlement value of personal injury claims. The following companies use Colossus: Allstate, American Family, CNS, Farmers, The Hartford, Met Auto and Life, Travelers and USAA. While the insurance companies claim that the program is just a tool to aid its adjusters, many adjusters have come forward saying that the Colossus numbers are those used for settlement offers.

We normally caution our clients against trusting insurance adjusters. But at least adjusters are human and can look at photographs, listen to eye witness statements, take into account pain and suffering, and recognize drastic life-style changes after an accident. Colossus isn’t human. It uses formulas, not compassion. A computer cannot give consideration to the effects of losing your job, permanent scarring, painful medical procedures or lost time with your family. Colossus looks at the entered data only. It will search for surgical procedures, diagnostic testing (MRIs, x-rays, CT scans) and lost wages. It will determine what your medical diagnosis is and assign a certain dollar value according to that diagnosis.

Juries do not evaluate claims like this. Think about this situation – you are in a car accident and while your pain is immediate, you hope it will go away. When it doesn’t, you go to your doctor who runs several tests on you. All the tests are normal. Although there is nothing that can be done to help you medically, you experience daily pain. You cannot hold your grandchildren. You can no longer play golf. A jury would find that you have suffered a loss. Colossus, however, would consider you to have no injury at all. To trust Colossus as the authority on what your claim is worth would be a huge mistake. You have already been injured. If you are dealing with an insurance adjuster, it is in your best interest to hire an attorney who has experience with Colossus so that you are not injured again.

To learn more, contact Robert D. Rowland.