Separate observations from an allocation
Write what each person did, what you observed, and which records support the account. Keep an insurer’s proposed percentage in a separate column labeled with its source and date. A percentage in a letter is a position to understand, not a fact established by the spreadsheet.
The California insurance guide discusses shared responsibility in its state context. California’s civil jury instruction resources provide another official starting point for relevant legal concepts. Neither establishes the rule in every jurisdiction or for every kind of claim.
Organize the evidence around disputed actions
Create a table with the disputed action, each account, available documents, and what remains unknown. Relevant material may include photographs, witness observations, diagrams, or reports. Preserve conflicting evidence rather than dropping the version that is less helpful to you.
An invented example: one account says a vehicle was stationary; another says it was moving. A photograph taken after the event may show final position without resolving movement before impact. Explain that limit instead of calling the photograph conclusive.
Treat arithmetic as conditional
If a hypothetical $10,000 amount is reduced by 20%, the arithmetic remainder is $8,000. That example says nothing about whether a reduction is legally appropriate, whether 20% is supported, whether a threshold bars recovery, or whether the starting amount is correct.
Do not apply that calculation as a universal rule. Ask a qualified lawyer which system applies and how disputed responsibility interacts with the claim, coverage, and evidence.
Ask for the reasoning behind the position
Request an explanation of the facts and rules used, then identify specific disagreements with supporting records. Keep the exchange in writing where possible. Avoid turning the response into accusations or speculative claims about motives.
Before accepting a settlement based on an allocation, review the entire proposal, including deductions and release terms. A disagreement about fault can affect more than a single percentage, and an AI-generated confidence score cannot substitute for the necessary factual and legal analysis.