Demand letter for a car accident: template and your number
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Writing a demand letter after your crash? Call before you send it.
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What goes in a demand letter
The demand letter starts your claim in writing. It names your bills, your lost pay and your pain, and asks for one number.
- Your name, the claim number and the date of the crash.
- Two sentences on what happened.
- Your medical bills, with copies.
- Your lost pay, with an employer letter.
- What the pain kept you from doing.
- One number, and a reply date.
Setting your number
Add your bills and your lost pay. Add a pain figure, often 2 to 3 times your bills for a soft-tissue injury. Ask a little above the figure you would take.
On the example, $8,000 in bills and $2,400 in pay, plus 2 to 3 times the bills, gives $26,400 to $34,400.
So an ask of $32,000 sits near the top and leaves room to come down.
After you send it
Expect a counteroffer, and expect it to come in lower. Your deadline to sue keeps running while you trade letters, per the 50-state deadline table.
Your deadline to sue is one to six years from the crash, two years in 25 states.See every state.
Demand letter questions
How do I write a demand letter for a car accident?
Say what happened, list your bills and lost pay with copies, describe the pain in plain words, and name one number. Ask for a reply in writing by a date. Keep it to one or two pages.
What should I ask for in my demand letter?
Ask for more than you would accept, but a number you can explain. A common start is bills and pay plus a multiplier of 2 to 3. The settlement calculator gives a range.
When do I send the demand letter?
After you finish treatment, or after your doctor says how much future care you need. Sending it sooner leaves bills out.
What happens after you send it?
The adjuster sends a counteroffer, usually lower. Your side answers it in writing with the reason your number is right.
What to do now
Call about my letter(833) 716-6705
We answer 24/7, review your case free, and link you to a car accident lawyer with no fee unless you win.
Once your letter reaches the adjuster, your number is on the table, and offers usually come in below it. Most states give you two or three years from the crash to file a lawsuit, and the talks use up that time. Call now for a free case review before you send it.