If you’ve lived in Florida long enough, you’ve probably seen a dozen injury attorney billboards asking if you’ve been injured in an auto accident. The billboard most likely has some catchy phrase that allows you to easily remember their phone number with an ad prompting you to call them, promising they can win you thousands of dollars from the insurance company.
But what if you’re on the other side? What if you own a business where someone slip and fell on your property, or you’ve had an at fault auto accident? What should you do when you receive a letter of representation letter or a demand letter from a plaintiff attorney?
The most important thing you can do is not wait to report the letter to your agent or the claims adjuster.
- The first thing you need to do, if you haven’t done so already, is report the accident to the insurance company.
- If you’ve already reported the accident, then you need to notify your claims adjuster or insurance agent of the letter immediately, so the claims adjuster can respond to the letter promptly. One thing an attorney does not like, is not being responded to in a timely manner.
- Make sure to forward a copy of the letter to your agent and the claims representative.
- Don’t worry. If the claims adjuster has been notified, then you have done your part. The insurance company will handle the rest.
It’s important to know the difference between the two letters. A letter of representation is simply a letter notifying you that the claimant has retained an attorney to represent them on their injury claim. They will most likely request a copy of your current policy coverage. It is important not to respond to this letter on your own. The claims adjuster will respond appropriately for you once they receive the letter.
If it is a demand letter, it is much more important to get this over to your claims adjuster as quickly as possible. A demand letter has a certain amount of time that it must be responded to before the attorney files a lawsuit against you. The claims adjuster needs plenty of time to review the demand package to make sure they have everything they need in that package to respond appropriately.