5 Things To Include In An Auto Collision Injury Demand Letter
Writing a good personal injury demand letter is essential if you want to receive a favorable reply to your demand. There are several things that you must include in the letter. Here are five of them:
Your Version of the Story
Write a brief and factual account of the accident. Make it devoid of emotion or strong language; you don't need to tell the insurance company that the other driver is a fool for not stopping at the red light. Include references to documents (such as police reports) that can support your side of the story.
Show Why the Other Motorist Was To Blame
It is also essential to show why the other motorist is the one to blame and not you. Again, keep it simple, factual and respectful and defend your claims. An example is that the other party hit you on the side because he was driving unsteadily, weaving in and out of lanes dangerously as witnessed by a traffic officer.
Your Injuries
When it comes to a description of your injuries, you don't need to keep it simple. Get into as much detail as you can without repeating yourself. Obviously, you shouldn't lie, but you shouldn't leave anything out either. It is especially useful to be as descriptive as possible on the catastrophic injuries.
Your Losses/Damages
This section deals with the losses or damages for which you are seeking compensation. These may include:
- Medical bills – include who treated you, where and the charges.
- Lost earnings – time missed from work, lost wages and supporting letters from employer
- Car repair costs – expenses used to repair the car including labor and parts cost
Your Settlement Demand
The last crucial thing to include is the actual amount of money you are seeking as compensation. To do this, you should get a sum of all the damages (physical and emotional injury, repair, lost earnings and others). Then, and this is very important, you should increase that amount considerably. In fact, you can quote an amount twice as large to give you adequate room for negotiation. Don't quote the actual thing because you won't get what you ask for.
These are some of the essential things to include in a demand letter. If you are confident of your ability, and the amount you are asking for isn't terribly large, then you can go ahead and draft the letter on your own. Otherwise, you should get a lawyer, like Frank L. Slaughter Jr. PC, to help you with it.
Share