Your injury claim starts with notifying the insurance company. Use our template, samples, and helpful hints to write an effective notification letter.
Most personal injury claims are settled by the at-fault party’s insurance carrier.
Your claim begins with notifying the insurance company of your intent to seek compensation for your injuries. See all the steps of the personal injury claim process here.
Here’s where we walk you through how to write an effective notification letter to the insurance carrier for different types of injury claims.
You can probably settle a minor injury claim on your own for a fair amount of compensation. However, serious injuries or complicated claims are best handled by a skilled attorney.
Complicated injury claims can include:
- Claims against the government
- Multi-vehicle accidents
- Severe or permanent injuries
- Medical malpractice claims
Identifying the Insurance Company
Depending on the circumstances leading to your injuries, you might need to send a notification letter to the at-fault party to get the contact information for their insurance company.
For some claims, like dog attack injuries, you’ll need the cooperation of the dog owner to get their homeowner’s insurance information.
If you were in a motor vehicle accident, most states require drivers to exchange auto insurance information at the scene of the crash. Alternately, you can usually find the other driver’s insurance information in the police report.
Injuries on business properties like stores and restaurants are typically handled by the business owner’s liability carrier. If the business is in a leased space, you may also have recourse against the property owner for injuries caused by hazards on the property.
Writing an Impressive Notification Letter
You can send a notification letter to the insurance company that looks as good as one sent from an attorney’s office. A well-crafted letter shows the insurance company you know what you’re doing.
How to write an impressive letter:
- Check your spelling and grammar, including the spelling of names and addresses
- Use quality bond paper
- Use matching business-size envelopes
- Sign your name in black or blue ink
- Send the letter by USPS certified mail, return receipt requested
Your notification letter should be simple and stick to the facts. Don’t offer your opinion of fault or go into detail about your injuries. It’s too soon to know the full value of your injury claim.
When you’ve recovered from your injuries, you’ll include all the necessary details in your compensation demand packet.
Your letter should include:
- Letter date
- Your full name and contact information
- Injury date and location
- Brief description of the incident, such as “car accident” or “slip and fall”
- The at-fault party’s name and contact information
- The at-fault party’s insurance policy number, if available
Make a copy of the signed letter for your records. When the certified mail green card comes back to you, confirming your letter was received, attach the card to your copy of the notification letter.
Keep copies of all correspondence to and from the insurance company in your injury claim file along with other important paperwork.
Notification Letter Template
Click the buttons to see explanations for wording in the letter.
[YOUR FULL NAME]
[YOUR STREET]
[YOUR CITY, STATE, ZIP]
[DATE OF LETTER]
[INSURANCE COMPANY NAME]
[INSURANCE COMPANY STREET]
[INSURANCE COMPANY CITY, STATE, ZIP]
Attn: Claims Department
Your Insured: [AT-FAULT PARTY NAME]
[AT FAULT PARTY STREET]
[AT-FAULT PARTY CITY, STATE, ZIP]
Policy Number: [POLICY NUMBER]
Re: [TYPE OF CLAIM] injury on [DATE OF INCIDENT]
To Whom It May Concern:
On [DATE OF INJURY] at approximately [TIME OF DAY], I was injured by a [TYPE OF CLAIM] that happened at [LOCATION].
Please provide written confirmation of your liability coverage for the insured referenced above. You may contact me in writing at my above address, or electronically at [YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS]
Please let me know immediately if there are other insurance policies relevant to my injury claim, or if you become aware of other potentially liable parties.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
Sample Notification Letters
Here we use fictional claim scenarios to show how you can personalize our notification letter template for different types of injury claims.
If you know of evidence that will help your claim, but it’s currently in the at-fault party’s possession, include spoliation language in your letter. Spoliation is a legal term applied to evidence that might be “spoiled” before you can use it in your case. Evidence can be spoiled if it’s changed or discarded.
For example, security camera footage often runs on a loop, meaning the same videotape is copied over every few days or weeks. If you fall in a grocery store, you’ll ask the store to save the security camera film from the day of your accident.
Sample Notification Letter for Slip and Fall Claim
Kelly R. Wilson
1234 Main Street
Jefferson, NY 12345
August 26, 2020
Classic Insurance Company
101 High Street, Suite 16
New York, NY 10002
Attn: Claim Department
Your Insured: Standard Supermarket
1215 Roe Boulevard
Bastion, NY 11799
Standard Supermarket Policy Number: ABC1492
Re: Slip and Fall on August 23, 2020
To Whom It May Concern:
On August 23, 2020, at approximately 10:00 a.m. I was injured by a fall in the Roe Boulevard store in Bastion, NY.
Kindly provide written confirmation of your liability coverage for the insured referenced above. You may contact me in writing at the address above or by email at kellywilson@example.com.
Please let me know immediately if there are other insurance policies relevant to my injury claim, or if you become aware of other potentially liable parties.
Additionally, please instruct your insured to preserve and retain any information that may be relevant to my injury claim, including, but not limited to video or audio footage recorded on August 23, 2020, photographs, written or electronic reports, handwritten notes, and all other evidence relating to the incident.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Kelly R. Wilson
Sample Notification Letter for Car Accident Claim
Kelly R. Wilson
1234 Main Street
Jefferson, NY 12345
August 26, 2020
Classic Insurance Company
102 High Street, Suite 2B
New York, NY 10002
Attn: Claim Department
Your Insured: Alex Smith
112 Ellington Avenue
Washington, NY 54321
Smith Policy Number: AUTO 1776
Re: Vehicle Accident on August 23, 2020
To Whom It May Concern:
On August 23, 2020, at approximately 10:00 a.m. I was injured, and my car was damaged when I was hit by your insured on Fleet Street at the intersection of Franklin Avenue in Monroe, New York.
Kindly provide written confirmation of your liability coverage for the insured referenced above. You may contact me in writing at the address above or by email at kellywilson@example.com.
Please let me know immediately if there are other insurance policies relevant to my injury claim, or if you become aware of other potentially liable parties.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Kelly R. Wilson
If you’re involved in a car accident, even if it wasn’t your fault, you must report the collision to your own auto insurance company. Most auto insurance contracts have a “notice and cooperation” clause that obligates you to notify them or risk losing the protection of your auto policy.
If you live in a no-fault insurance state, you must use your auto policy for minor injury claims. You can pursue the at-fault driver for property damage claims, and injury claims that exceed the no-fault “threshold” in your state.
Sample Notification Letter to Your Own Insurance Company
Kelly R. Wilson
1234 Main Street
Jefferson, NY 12345
August 26, 2020
Traditional Insurance Company
420 Broker Way, Suite 12
New York, NY 10002
Attn: Claim Department
My Policy Number: CR 321654
Re: Vehicle Accident on August 23, 2020
To Whom It May Concern:
On August 23, 2020, at approximately 10:00 a.m. I was injured, and my car was damaged when I was involved in a collision on Fleet Street at the intersection of Franklin Avenue in Monroe, New York.
The driver who hit me is Alex Smith, 112 Ellington Avenue, Washington, NY 54321. Alex Smith is insured by Classic Insurance Company under Policy Number: AUTO 1776.
I currently intend to pursue compensation for my damages from the Smith policy. However, I reserve the right to injury and property damage coverage under my own policy.
Sincerely,
Kelly R. Wilson
Communicating with the Claims Adjuster
Soon after you notify the insurance company of your intent to pursue compensation, your claim will be assigned to a claims adjuster. You’ll be contacted by letter or telephone to introduce the adjuster and give you a claim number.
Going forward, you’ll be dealing directly with the claims adjuster if you’re negotiating your own claim. Always reference your claim number in any communications.
Be careful when dealing with insurance adjusters. Claim adjusters are never your friend. Their only goal is to settle your claim quickly, for as little as possible.
Even responding, “I’m fine” after the adjuster asks, “How are you today?” can cost you plenty if you’re still in treatment for your injuries. Learn to avoid costly negotiation mistakes before they happen.
Watch out for the adjuster who pushes you to give a recorded statement, or tries to get you to settle on your first phone call. Adjusters are trained to ask leading questions and try to get you to say things that they can use against you.
You won’t have to deal with the adjuster if you’re represented by a personal injury attorney. An attorney will protect your interests while negotiating your injury settlement.
Most attorneys don’t charge injury victims for their initial consultation. It costs nothing to find out what a good attorney can do for you.
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