“I wish I would have known about you 6 years ago.”
A California attorney has gone viral on TikTok after revealing how she turned a $3,000 insurance settlement offer into an $87,000 payout for her client. The case highlights tactics commonly used by insurance companies—and shows why accident victims should think twice before accepting the first offer.
Attorney Brittany Cohen (@attorney_brittanycohen) shared the story in a 1:40 video that has garnered more than 215,000 views since it was uploaded on April 15. Walking outdoors while speaking directly to the camera, Cohen detailed how her client nearly accepted a lowball settlement after being rear-ended at a red light.
“I had a client who was in an accident, and she was offered $3,000 by the at-fault party’s insurance adjuster. And she almost took it thinking it was a good deal,” Cohen said in the video. “But she called me instead, and thank God she did.”
According to Cohen, her client was rear-ended while stopped at a red light through no fault of her own. Initially, the woman didn’t experience severe pain—just some soreness in her neck and back that she assumed would resolve on its own.
After a few days of persistent pain, the client visited urgent care and was referred to physical therapy. That’s when she decided to contact the at-fault driver’s insurance company for compensation.
“They offered her $3,000, and they said, ‘This should cover it.’ And she almost took it,” Cohen explained in the video. “The only thing that stopped her from taking it was that she told them, ‘Hey, I had to take off a few days of work, so I need to get reimbursed for the lost wages.’ And they said, ‘Oh, sorry, $3,000 is sufficient because you don’t have any doctor’s notes to support why you should have lost wages.’”
That response prompted the client to call Cohen’s law firm, Peaceful Warrior Law.
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Cohen outlined her approach to maximizing the settlement, which focused on thorough documentation and proper medical treatment rather than rushing to close the case.
“The goal of the insurance company is to settle your case as quickly as possible before you get all of the appropriate treatment, before you get all of the diagnoses associated with how the accident occurred, and before their bill gets any bigger,” Cohen said. “Their goal is to settle it quickly, not fairly.”
Insurance industry experts and personal injury attorneys confirm this approach is widespread. Quick settlement offers are designed to appeal to people who are in pain, under financial stress, or simply unaware of the potential value of their case. According to other lawyers, early offers tend to be dramatically lower than actual case values, and accepting them means giving up the right to seek further compensation even if new complications arise later.
Cohen’s strategy involved several key steps: developing a comprehensive treatment plan, ensuring all injuries were properly addressed, collecting complete medical records and lost wage documentation, and then sending a formal demand to the insurance company. Accident victims should complete medical treatment before settling in order to maximize settlement value, as it provides concrete evidence of the full extent of injuries and associated costs, including potential future medical needs.
The result? According to Cohen, her client won an $87,000 settlement—nearly 29 times the original offer.
“$87,000 in her pocket, not a dime did she have to pay in order to get her case resolved,” Cohen emphasized, though this likely refers to upfront costs rather than attorney fees, which typically range from 33% to 40% of settlements, with 33% being standard for cases that settle before trial and 40% for cases that go to trial. Most personal injury attorneys work on contingency fee arrangements, meaning they only get paid if they win the case.
The video sparked significant discussion in the comments section, with viewers expressing both admiration and skepticism about the settlement amount.
User “Kathy” questioned how someone could receive such a large payout without serious injuries, writing, “How could she get that much money with no serious injuries. Something doesn’t sound right.”
Cohen responded that “serious injuries is subjective to quantify ‘pain and suffering’ in addition to loss income,” and confirmed that her client had soft tissue injuries.
This is legally accurate. Pain and suffering damages are inherently subjective and typically calculated using either the multiplier method (multiplying economic damages by a factor of 1.5 to 5 based on severity) or the per diem method (assigning a daily value to pain). Average settlements for soft tissue injuries from car accidents range from $2,500 to $100,000 or more, depending on severity, medical treatment required, and impact on daily life. While mild soft tissue injuries may settle for $2,500 to $10,000, more severe cases requiring extensive treatment can result in substantially higher settlements.
Several commenters raised questions about attorney fees and net payouts. User “Tj” pointed out a common concern: “And of that 87k how much of that is her medical bills and your fees lol.” Another commenter, “canigetacwissahnt,” asked whether the $87,000 was the client’s take-home amount or the total settlement before attorney fees.
Other viewers shared their own experiences with lowball settlement offers. “Kelsey Ibarra” wrote, “Literally me. I was driving a school bus March 27th and a car ran a red light. Caused major accident and I have an extreme amount of emotional trauma plus a sore shoulder. Offered me $2,000 lol.”
Cohen responded directly to several commenters, offering to review cases and providing advice.
What Owners Are Saying
While Cohen’s video focuses on maximizing client payouts, insurance companies operate under different priorities. They aim to resolve claims quickly and cost-effectively, which often means making initial offers based on immediate medical expenses and lost wages rather than potential future complications or pain and suffering awards.
Insurance companies use psychological tactics, including creating urgency, downplaying injuries, and offering fast cash to pressure victims into quick settlements. By settling before the full extent of injuries becomes apparent, insurers minimize their expenses and maximize profits, often at the expense of accident victims who may not realize the true value of their claims.
The strategy Cohen describes—waiting for complete medical treatment and documentation—is exactly what insurance companies hope to avoid, as it typically results in higher settlement amounts. Proper medical documentation strengthens negotiating positions by establishing clear causation between the accident and injuries, demonstrating severity, and providing a factual basis for demanding fair compensation.
Cohen’s case underscores several important points for anyone involved in a car accident:
First, initial settlement offers from insurance companies are typically much lower than what cases may ultimately be worth. These first offers rarely account for the full scope of medical expenses, ongoing treatment, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Second, accepting quick settlements before understanding the full extent of injuries can cost accident victims significant compensation. Once a settlement is signed, victims give up their right to pursue any future compensation, even if new complications arise.
Third, proper documentation of medical treatment, lost wages, and other damages is crucial for maximizing settlement value, as comprehensive medical records provide objective evidence that strengthens the case.
The attorney’s advice is straightforward: “Before you settle a check or sign any documents or talk to any insurance adjusters after a car accident, talk to an attorney first.”
Motor1 reached out to attorney Brittany Cohen via her law firm’s email address. We’ll be sure to update this if she responds.
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