What is a Personal Injury Claim Letter?

After you have been involved in an accident, you may need to have a personal injury claim letter written. Once a claim has been made, you’re likely to receive compensation for your property damage, medical expenses and possibly more, depending on your policy.

However, what happens when you’re unhappy with the amount the insurance company is providing. If you don’t have an attorney, you might get the runaround or be left with less compensation than you deserve.

If you hire a lawyer, they can work on your behalf. One of the first steps in negotiating a personal injury claim is by filing a personal injury claim letter.

Foundations of a Personal Injury Claim Letter

The purpose of a personal injury claim letter is to provide the history of your claim to the insurance adjuster. The letter will start from the beginning, that is, the day when the accident happened, and include information about your treatment.

A personal injury claim letter will typically consist of nine elements:

1. Summary of the facts –information on the location of the accident, date, and other pertinent facts such as weather conditions that may have impacted the collision.
2. Liability – the letter will go over why the other party was responsible; again, this should just be the facts and nothing inflammatory. Witness statements might be included in this section.
3. List of injuries and medical expenses – your attorney provide details on injuries you have suffered and medical expenses for your ongoing treatment.
4. Loss of income – this might include time lost to recover from your injuries, loss of future income, or even loss of business if you are a business owner.
5. Statement of your ongoing pain and suffering and emotional distress – mental distress such as anxiety or depression after an accident might occur and should be noted in the letter.
6. Any additional loss not mentioned above – if your accident has impacted your personal relationships, it should also be noted in the letter.
7. Supporting documents – this might mean including documentation such as medical bills, police reports, letters from employers, or letter from family members.
8. Settlement demand amount – the letter should include the amount of compensation you are demanding.
9. Statement – the letter should begin with a specific statement noting that it is for “settlement purposes only.” That specific note is used so that the letter cannot be used as evidence. This should be a formal letter that includes a header with the claimant’s name, insurance adjuster, the name of the insurance company, and the “For Settlement Purposes Only” statement.

Should You Write Your Own Personal Injury Claim Letter?

Car accident victims often think they can work with the insurer to obtain the compensation they deserve. While some may feel that they can write their own letter, it’s not as easy as it sounds. While you can provide a firsthand account of what happened, you’ll also need specifics on what types of medical treatment you received, medical expenses, a copy of the police report, and might even need to contact witnesses on your own.

Unfortunately, this can be a lengthy and time-consuming process. Additionally, you may not know how to judge the cost of emotional distress, loss of future income, and other specific costs included in the personal injury claim letter.

It is not advisable to write a personal injury claim letter on your own. By hiring a lawyer, you can rest assured that your claim is being taken care of as you continue recovering from your injuries and return to everyday living. Not only can the attorney investigate your claim, but they can also obtain all the needed documentation and write the letter on your behalf to begin the personal injury claims process.

If you have been injured in an accident, contact us today.