You have to understand that it is not civil practice to plead a fixed sum for damages. Special damages e.g. loss of clothing, or damage to a car are easily established as a fixed sum, because the claimant has the bills, are pleaded but the rest are not. So the trick is to ask for more than you expect, then wait for a counter offer. This may simply be less or it may be constructed on the basis that you are somewhat to blame, but not by much. Your lawyers then accept that because it is near enough what they expected on full liability anyway. The rest is just window dressing for the other side's client