Most of them use a program called Collosus. Here are some links to articles about Collosus:
Wall Street Journal Article About Colossus From the article: "But plaintiffs attorneys contend some insurers misuse Colossus to systematically lower payments to injured claimants, in some cases by as much as 10% from what they might otherwise receive. The lawyers have focused on Allstate, filing more than 100 lawsuits against the insurer. Without blaming Colossus itself, in general these suits charge Allstate breaches "good faith" laws in states such as California, New York and Montana, by manipulating the software to low-ball recommended payout ranges and then forcing adjusters to settle according to those allegedly biased ranges."
Insure.com's Explanation of Colossus Read the last paragraph which states: "However, attorneys say that those guidelines — since they're not available to the public — put consumers at a disadvantage. "There's something sinister and surreal about a computer becoming the arbiter of the value of human life," says Karen Greig, an attorney based in Bellevue, Wash., who's litigated dozens of bodily injury suits against Allstate. "You can't negotiate with a computer."
Explanation from the website "All About Car Accidents .com" This article is summed up as follows: "While you need to know about Colossus because most insurance companies are using it or something similar, there is nothing magic about the Colossus evaluation. You certainly don't have to agree with the system's evaluation. These systems don't know you or many of the specifics of your case. They can't feel the pain you felt and they haven't suffered the harms and losses you have. When you disagree with a Colossus evaluation that your insurance company is relying on, don't be afraid to take your case to court where real human beings -- judges and jurors -- will decide your case instead of an unfeeling software program."
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http://oopslaw.changjy.com/2009/09/15/guide-to-make-car-insurance-claim-work-for-you/
Posted by: Robot Smith | September 15, 2009 at 03:16 AM