What makes an effective car accident demand letter?
When done well, a car accident demand letter is an effective tool to settle your car accident case before litigation.
The benefits are obvious. By settling before litigation, you avoid the stresses and uncertainties of a lawsuit.
But what makes an effective car accident demand letter? How you can give it your “best shot” and put together the best car accident demand letter possible?
I will discuss the five main parts I believe every car accident demand letter should include to maximize your chances of settlement.
First: The Car Accident Demand Letter Should Be An Opportunity To Learn About You
I believe effective car accident demand letters should start by talking about you.
Who are you? Do you have a family? Have you served in the military? Do you have any hobbies or interests that are important to you? If so, we will write about it.
A demand letter is an opportunity to let the insurance company put a face and story to you, the claimant.
In my opinion, without this helpful background, a car accident demand letter can be cold and distant.
Again, this is an opportunity to let the insurance company you are not just another claim in their system, but a unique person with a story to share.
Second: The Car Accident Demand Letter Should Detail The Reasons Why The Other Party Was At Fault
I believe an effective car accident demand letter should detail all the reasons why the other party was at fault for the car accident.
Some might tend to disagree and think by doing so you are possibly giving away your thoughts and strategies on liability. But, I feel that if you have good liability arguments, you should make them.
Additionally, I believe you should find legal support and include it in your demand letter. For example, when possible I believe it’s helpful to include case law where juries considered similar factual scenarios and awarded favorable verdicts.
Third: The Car Accident Demand Letter Should Detail Your Medical Care and Treatment
I believe an effective car accident demand letter should detail your medical care and treatment.
Importantly, I do not believe your car accident demand letter should simply “copy-and-paste” your treatment notes. This, in my opinion, loses the reader.
Instead, an effective car accident demand letter provides a concise, yet informative overview of your medical care and treatment but without going into unnecessary detail.
Fourth: The Car Accident Demand Letter Should Detail Your Damages
I believe an effective accident demand letter should provide detail on all the ways the car accident caused you damage.
This includes providing all your medical records, wage records, photographs of the vehicle damage, photographs of your injuries, and other documents which verify your losses.
Fifth: The Car Accident Demand Letter Should Include A Good Faith Monetary Demand
I believe an effective car accident demand letter should include a good faith monetary demand.
As I have written about before, there are several factors used to determine the value of your personal injury case.
Importantly, once you settle your personal injury case you cannot go back and ask for more. So you must settle at a figure that considers all of your potential damages.
Further, I believe your demand should include recent jury verdicts where juries issued awards in cases with facts similar to yours. This helps provide a range as to the value of your case.
Call Barthelette Law, Your Boca Raton Personal Injury Attorney
If you are curious what a demand letter looks like, there are samples available on the internet.
At Barthelette Law, we have many years of experience handling car accidents, and our website and blog will answer all of your key questions (see: https://barthelettelaw.com/personal-injury/car-accident-attorney/).
If you would like to discuss car accident demand letters in more detail, don’t hesitate to call or email us today!