How to Write an Injury Claim Notification Letter to the Insurance Company

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]

Date the letter the same day you mail it, just as if the letter were coming from an attorney’s office. Notice dates are an important part of your injury claim timeline.

[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]

Try to provide the full name and address of the at-faulty party. If you know their insurance policy number, include it here.

Re: [TYPE OF CLAIM] injury on [DATE OF INCIDENT]

Name the type of incident and the date it happened, such as “Auto Accident on February 12, 2020”

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]

Ensure your privacy by using a personal email address, rather than your work email. Employers have legal access to your workplace correspondence, including email.

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]

Type your full name at the end of your letter, with room above for your signature.

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.

Save the details for later. You don’t need to explain the circumstances leading to your injury, such as water on the floor.

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.

In premises liability claims, more than one entity might be liable for your injuries. For example, the store owner might share the blame with the freezer company if a defective freezer leaked on the floor, causing your fall.

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.

There might be crucial evidence you don’t know about yet. Words like “including, but not limited to” make it harder for the at-fault party to justify spoiling evidence that might help your case, even if you don’t specifically mention it.

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

Identify the policy owner and the number of the policy you are claiming against. It’s not uncommon for both drivers in a car accident to have the same insurance company.

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

It’s a good idea to identify the policy owner and the specific policy number, especially if your household has more than one policy with the same insurance company.

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.

A “reservation of rights” statement lets your insurance company know you might file a claim with them later.

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.