Yesterday I settled a rear end collision for $31,000. The prior settlement offer on the case was roughly $1,000. My client had to hire a trial lawyer who was willing to go all the way to a jury trial before a proper settlement offer was made. This is not the first car accident claim that was denied at first, but was later paid after I filed a lawsuit for compensation.
You get better results when you hire an attorney. Insurance adjusters know when people are not represented by an attorney in car accident cases and act accordantly.