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[A794]Auto Accident Personal Injury Settlement

by Rex Bush, Rex

Here are 32 tips gleaned from over 20 years experience that comprise a checklist or template to make sure your booklet is as complete as possible.

(Note: in this checklist the "settlement brochure" is sometimes called the "demand.")

1. Order PIP/MedPay payments ledger from your insurance company (the company of the car you were in at the time of the accident.)

2. Receive the PIP/MedPay payments ledger.

3. Check the ledger for any other doctors, clinics, prescriptions, etc. that you had overlooked.

4. Make a complete list of all of your doctors, hospitals etc.

5. Request impairment rating or final narrative report letter from one of your treating doctors.

6. Obtain all Medical Bills.

7. Obtain all Medical Reports and records.

8. Mail or fax to your employer a LOST WAGES REQUEST LETTER. This asks your employer's human resources department for 1) your hourly wage at time of accident, and 2) how many hours were missed because of the accident.

9. Once you have received lost wages information from employer calculate lost wages.

10. Check dates of service on ALL med. bills, presc., reports,records,etc. Make sure bills are current & include all services to date.

11. Arrange medical bills in chronological order, keeping all of one dr's/clinic's bills together, then list each dr/clinic, and total expenses from that clinic, on MEDICAL SPECIALS SUMMARY in same order. Note: in injury cases, medical bills are known as "medical specials."

12. Check for prescriptions. Add to MEDICAL SPECIALS SUMMARY.

13. Have any of the doctors predicted a specific need for future treatment? If so, add to bottom of MEDICAL SPECIALS SUMMARY. (Place a copy of future medicals documentation in future medicals section of demand.)

14. Read medical records & reports to identify any problem areas. (In reading, if another dr./clinic is mentioned check on it to see if there are more med. bills.

15. Organize medical records & reports in reverse chron. order.

16. If this is an uninsured/underinsured motorist case, gather information that is evidence of uninsured/underinsured motorist.

17. Obtain liability or jury verdict research. Note: if there is an issue as to liability it is helpful to enclose legal research that supports your position. This may be obtained from a law library.

18. Draft DEMAND LETTER. This is the cover letter for your brochure that summarizes all of the information.

19. Type DEMAND LETTER; MEDICAL SPECIALS SUMMARY, FUTURE MEDICALS SUMMARY, and LOST WAGES SUMMARIES.

20. Proofread DEMAND LETTER; MEDICAL SPECIALS SUMMARY, FUTURE MEDICALS SUMMARY, and LOST WAGES SUMMARY. Check date of accident on accident report against the date in letter.

21. Check verdict amounts in comparable verdicts with what is typed in demand letter.

22. Check spelling on medical terms, doctor's, client and adjusters names.

23. Check to see that all dollar amounts and numbers are correct numbers.

24. Check all dollar totals with adding machine. This may seem trivial but your accuracy will reflect on your credibility.

25. Check names and amounts on MEDICAL SPECIALS SUMMARY with the bills.

26. Place divider sheets in appropriate places within documents in folder.

27. Finalize DEMAND LETTER; MEDICAL SPECIALS SUMMARY, FUTURE MEDICALS SUMMARY, and LOST WAGES SUMMARY.

28. Make sure letter is signed before copying. Copy entire demand package, make EXACT copy of what you send to the insurance company.

29. Make sure divider tabs are "in" for each section & labeled in demand & copy.

30. After copying "demand" go thru page by page, to see that every page got copied, and that pages are facing out. Be sure highlighted items get highlighted on copy.

31. Mail or hand deliver the demand package/settlement booklet to insurance company.

32. Calendar for follow up in five days with adjuster.

Summary

The care and thoroughness of your settlement booklet will be reflected in the size of the offer. Build credibility and trust by being complete and accurate. Good luck!

Disclaimer

This article does not constitute legal advice but is merely a summary of the experience of one attorney in one jurisdiction. Seek legal advice from a competent attorney in your state or perform your own legal research as to any relevant legal issues.

Claim letters aren't the only thing you should put in writing - make sure everything is in writing.
Not only does it make you look organized, but it means you actually are organized. It also means every last piece of communication is easily confirmed and referred to. This is why claim letters are letters, and not phone calls.

You'll need the insurance adjuster to be able to study and refer to your claim letter during the time your claim is open. If claims were handled entirely over the phone, cases would rest on how well the adjuster took notes. Having the information in writing assures that the adjuster is regularly faced with your side of the story.

There are other things you'll want to have in writing. These include accident notes, injury notes and notes on conversations with witnesses. This information will come into play later on, especially if your case goes to court.

Imagine you have written notes detailing every aspect of your claim beginning on the day of the accident, and the defendant is relying on memory only. Who is the judge more likely to believe?

The insurance adjuster needs to be shown how organized you are from the beginning. Fill your claim letter with your detailed notes and you'll impress the adjuster with the knowledge and information you've gathered. You'll be presenting yourself as someone who knows exactly what you're talking about and who won't be taken advantage of.

Other things that will help your claim letter are notes and documents from other people. You don't want to simply relate from memory what the police officer said, you want to quote from the actual police report. The same is true for your medical records, reports and bills. These things should be referred to directly, so the adjuster knows your case is based on documented facts, not just your memory.

Don't forget there are damages other than medical. Get documentation from your Human Resources department for any days of work you missed. Make sure this includes information on the pay you lost as a result of those missed days.

While you want to keep your personal notes for yourself, you should include any damage confirmation documents with your claim letter. Only send copies though, and keep the originals for yourself. Be sure to state in your claim letter that those documents are included.

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About Author

Both Rex Bush & Arthur Gueli are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Rex Bush has sinced written about articles on various topics from Legal Matters, Travel and Leisure and self improvement and motivation. Rex Bush is founder of Bush Law Firm near Salt Lake City, Utah where he handles personal injury cases in Utah and throughout the United States and Canada. For information on personal injury issues visit his website:. Rex Bush's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.

Arthur Gueli has sinced written about articles on various topics from Injury Claims, Legal Matters and Injury Claims. About author:Arthur Gueli works with his brother Charles (a licensed personal injury attorney) teaching injured people how to protect their rights and obtain fair compensation for their damages. Learn more about filing a personal injury claim at this. Arthur Gueli's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.