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Kentucky Accident VictimsBe Aware of COLOSSUS

Posted on Jan 27, 2010

COLOSSUS is the name of the computer program used by part of the insurance industry to systemize and minimize the amount of the settlement on your personal injury case. Almost all insurance companies use either COLOSSUS or a similar computer program. The purpose of these computer programs to help the insurance companies keep money in their pockets. They do this by making uniform settlements and having the data to back it up. The insurance adjuster simply enters the data into the program. The program then gives the adjuster a range that a case can be settled in. This is one of the many reasons your attorney needs all of your information. By making sure all the data is given to the adjuster and outlining that data, your attorney can ensure that these numbers are as high as possible.

It used to be that settling your case meant that the adjuster would evaluate the accident then discuss it with the attorney. It has changed in the past 20 years. Now the personal attention has been removed from these evaluations and replaced by computer programs. The insurance industry uses these programs for the payment of claims, to reduce the amount paid on claims and to increase profits.

More than 50% of the insurance industry uses COLOSSUS to evaluate automobile accident claims. COLOSSUS gives less credibility to the so called soft tissue claims or non-demonstrable injuries. There is a bias toward these injuries being faked or considered malingering. This is because of the subjective nature of these complaints. A demonstrable injury, like a broken arm, is deemed more credible by the program. What the program considers is set by the insurance company. Not me. Not you.

Almost all insurance companies are using COLOSSUS or a program similar to COLLOSUS to put a value on auto accident claims. The days of meeting with an adjuster and discussing a claim and coming up with a fair settlement value are over. Computer programs are used to make the value of the claims lower and equal across the board. These computer programs have over 10,000 potential entries for any single case. These entries include doctors, treatments, diagnosis, employment and medications. The list goes on. They look at personal information. They even look at the area where the case would go to trial. Some counties in Kentucky have histories of giving bigger awards than others. This will affect your settlement.

Each insurance company has its own protocol for the information that is entered into the COLOSSUS program by the insurance adjuster. The attorney must assist COLOSSUS in reaching an adequate assessment of the claim by providing as much data as possible to the insurance adjuster. This will help increase the odds of you achieving a fair and reasonable settlement.