Most online calculators are built around generic assumptions: length of hospitalization, diagnosis labels, and broad injury severity. Those inputs can be useful for getting a rough starting point.
But insurance negotiations in Colorado commonly hinge on details like:
- Whether symptoms were reported consistently from the earliest medical visit through follow-up care
- Whether work or daily activities were documented with restrictions (not just “I feel worse”)
- Whether the mechanism of injury fits the medical story (especially when there’s no dramatic imaging finding)
- Whether gaps in treatment are explained in a credible, documented way (delays happen—appointments, referrals, and access issues are real)
In other words: the calculator may show a range, but your evidence determines how that range is argued—or disputed.


