Maria got hit on I-95. She thought $8,000 was fair. She got $94,000.

I was sitting at a red light off Atlantic Boulevard when a delivery van came up behind me. I never saw it. I just remember the sound, and then my coffee was on the dashboard.

The next morning my neck wouldn't turn. My right shoulder felt like someone had pulled it out of the socket. I went to urgent care, then a chiropractor, then an orthopedist. By week three I was looking at an MRI bill and trying to figure out how I was going to pick up my daughter from daycare.

The insurance adjuster called me on day five. He was friendly. He said they wanted to make this easy. He offered $8,000 and said it was the best they could do. I almost said yes — I just wanted it to be over.

A friend told me to call ClaimCase before signing anything. The lawyer they matched me with asked one question: 'Have you finished treatment yet?' I hadn't. He told me not to sign.

Six months later, after my physical therapy was done and we had a real picture of what the injury cost me, the same insurance company paid $94,000. The lawyer took his fee and I still walked away with more than ten times what they first offered.