If the insurer is not offering as much as you want, the only way to get more is, as you have realized, to sue. But the problem is:1) The small claims maximum ($5,000) is the TOTAL you can get in the lawsuit for all claims for compenstion: e.g. medical costs plus pain and suffering plus lost wages (if any).2) You recover pain and suffering, you need to hire a doctor or other medical expert to testify about your injuries--your non-expert, layperson testimony is not acceptable. Such an expert can easily cost $1,000 - $2,000, which cost you cannot recover in the lawsuit: you have to bear this cost yourself, which will clearly offset whatever you might otherwise win.