If you have had a car accident recently then you may be wondering what your next steps are. How do you go about claiming on your insurance? Or how do you demand repairs from the other person involved? Well, first you will need to write a car accident demand letter.
What is a car accident demand letter?
A car accident demand letter is one of the most important things to write after you have had an accident. The letter lets the insurance company know that an accident has occurred, and also details exactly what has happened.
This lets your insurance company know the whole picture of the accident and allows them a better understanding of what went on, rather than simply just telling them the story over the phone.
How do I write the letter?
The letter will need to be very specific so that the insurance company knows exactly what happened. They will need to know the following:
- Who was involved? Was it just you, was there another car involved, or were there multiple cars involved?
- What happened? Detail the events clearly and exactly as they happened, including any and all details that you think might be relevant.
- Were you injured? Did you need to call an ambulance or have first aid administered to you?
- Did you need any medical assistance? Did or do you need any medical procedures or surgeries?
- Do you have any ongoing issues from the accident?
Giving the insurance company all of this information allows them to make an informed decision on how to proceed. By giving as much detail as possible it will also allow them to highlight any discrepancies with police reports and/or reports given by others involved in the accident.
If you had any medical care, or you need any ongoing medical care, make sure to visit your doctor to get their full analysis of the effects on your health. Keep a record of any bills that you have incurred as a result of these treatments, or that you will have to pay in the future, as this can affect the outcome of your claim.
What other information can I include?
Anything that was affected as a direct result of the accident can be included in the car accident demand letter. For example, if you were on your way to your wedding when the accident happened, say you were hit by another driver who was not paying attention to the road, then you can include this in the letter.
Similarly, if you were not able to attend work that day, or you had to take several days off of work as a result of the accident then also include this. Although there may not be an exact value of these missed events they can be taken into consideration by the insurance company when settling your claim.
You can include a monetary amount yourself by adding up the value of everything at the end. For example, calculate the damage to your car and the amount that it will take to fix it and add this to the lost wages for that day. This will let the company know your expectations.
