Why the first number is rarely the real number
Insurance adjusters routinely open negotiations with a conservative figure, expecting a counteroffer. Accepting that first offer typically closes the claim permanently — there's generally no going back to ask for more later, even if additional injuries or costs surface afterward.
A heightened duty, backed by real teeth
Washington imposes a heightened duty of good faith on insurers under RCW 48.01.030. The Insurance Fair Conduct Act (RCW 48.30.015) goes further, giving claimants significant remedies — including treble damages and attorney's fees — against an insurer found to have acted unreasonably in handling a claim.
What this doesn't change
None of this alters the ordinary claims process for a routine, good-faith offer. The Act provides a legal remedy specifically when an insurer's conduct crosses into unreasonableness — unreasonable delay, a lowball offer with no good-faith basis, or similar misconduct — rather than changing how an ordinary, properly handled claim evaluation unfolds.
Why it's still worth understanding before responding
Knowing that Washington law provides this backstop can inform how a claimant reads a surprisingly low or slow-walked offer — whether it reflects a genuine good-faith disagreement over value, or conduct that might itself support a separate claim under the Act. That's a judgment worth discussing with an attorney rather than assuming on your own.
The baseline still applies
None of this changes the ordinary approach to a first offer: compare it against a complete, well-documented account of your actual damages before deciding whether to accept or counter, since the decision is generally final once made.