There are several steps in the field of personal injury in order to get a case settled for the client. One of the final steps includes writing a demand letter to the insurance company and putting together what some call a “Demand Packet”.
A demand packet includes a demand letter that’s written by your attorney and the letter literally demands X dollar amount in order to resolve your case. This dollar amount is usually extremely high giving the attorney room to negotiate your claim. The insurance company will then typically come in low and the two will negotiate until there is a fair deal on the table.
What’s included in the demand packet?
Included in the demand packet includes everything related to your accident. This would be photos, police reports, witness statements, lost wage affidavits, and most importantly your medical bills and records. Every piece of paper in the demand packet serves a purpose and will be examined by the insurance company in order to determine their opening offer.
What happens after the attorney sends the demand packet?
Typically the demand letter will be sent with a deadline for the insurance company to respond. This can be anywhere from seven to fourteen days. So once the attorney sends the demand packet, you can hope to hear back from your attorney within a couple weeks.
While every case is different, once the demand packet is sent and everything goes according to plan with no surprises, you will usually be very close to a settlement. Once an offer is on the table it should be your attorney’s number one goal to get that number as high as possible thus putting as much money in the pocket of the client as possible. It is important to remember that most personal injury firms work on a contingency fee. This means the higher they can negotiate for you, the more money the firm will also receive.
Here at Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C. we always put the client first! That means we keep you informed of where you, the client, are throughout the legal process. With that said, it’s important for you to understand some of the legal jargon that our attorneys use.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a motor vehicle accident please do not hesitate to call our office at 361-882-4357 or email me at sstratso@herrmanandherrman.com day or night.
