Wife sprained (grade 2) ankle at a park, ER visit required. Insurance offered $250 settlement. Is this typical or low?

I’m sorry your wife continues to have pain. If she has worsening symptoms, seek prompt medical care; health comes first. A $250 offer for a full release is not, by itself, a measure of claim value. California generally requires evidence that the RV park owner or operator failed to use reasonable care—such as by creating a dangerous condition or knowing, or having reason to know, of it—and that this caused injury and damages. Medical records, an incident report, photos, witnesses, ongoing symptoms, and the documented reason therapy was unavailable can matter. A release can end a claim, so its terms should be understood before signing. Medi-Cal may seek reimbursement from settlement proceeds for injury-related services it paid. A Medi-Cal member pursuing a third-party claim must notify DHCS in writing within 30 days after filing the action or claim; recovery is limited by statute and may be reduced under its formula. Eligibility varies: physical-injury compensation generally is not countable MAGI income, but taxable portions, such as lost wages or interest, may differ, and specific non-MAGI programs count assets. Report the settlement and its allocation to the county. The usual private-party deadline is two years from injury. If a public entity operated the park, a government claim generally is due within six months; negotiations do not preserve that deadline.

No — this is a lowball opening offer, and by a wide margin. A few reasons why:

• The treatment itself signals real injury. Ambulance transport plus an ER visit isn't something adjusters see for minor sprains — that combination alone tells a jury (and should tell an adjuster) this was a legitimate, acute injury, not a soft-tissue nuisance claim.
• A Grade 2 sprain is a partial ligament tear, not a mild strain. These typically take 4–8 weeks to heal properly and can leave lingering instability or chronic weakness if not fully rehabbed — which is relevant given PT was never completed.
• The claim isn't ripe. Your wife still has ongoing pain. Signing a "full and final release of all claims" now means giving up the right to any further recovery even if the ankle turns out to need surgery, develops chronic instability, or the pain simply doesn't resolve. Settling before you know the real endpoint of the injury is the single biggest risk in what's being asked of you here.
• The missed PT could be used against you — insurers sometimes argue a claimant "failed to mitigate damages" when treatment isn't completed. That's not fair given your circumstances, but it's worth documenting why PT didn't happen (housing situation, not lack of care) in writing now, while it's fresh, so that explanation is preserved.

Bottom line: insurers routinely open low with unrepresented claimants specifically because most people don't know the treatment and injury pattern here supports far more. $250 doesn't reasonably account for the ambulance, the ER visit, an ongoing partial ligament tear, or the fact that treatment isn't even finished.