What Is an Injury Claim Notification Letter?

After most kinds of accidents, if you're thinking about making a personal injury claim, it's a good idea to send a claim notification letter to the person or business you think is at fault for what happened. In many cases, you'll also send a notification to the insurance company of the at-fault party.

Who Should Receive an Injury Claim Notification Letter?

Once you've figured out every person or entity that might be responsible for your accident, your next step is to notify each of them:

• about what happened, and
• that you were injured.

This may mean you send more than one letter.

For example, let's say you slip and fall in a store. You'd probably send one letter each to:

• the business where you fell
• the business's liability insurance company
• the owner of the property (if the business is renting the space), and
• the property owner's liability insurance company.

After a car accident, you'd notify the other driver's car insurance company. You'd also notify your own insurance company if you believe you might file a claim under your own medical payments, collision, or uninsured motorist coverage. If you're injured in a car accident in a no-fault car insurance state, you must file a notice of claim with your own insurance company immediately.

Don't Take the Other Side's Word For It

Write a letter of notification even if the others involved in your accident have assured you they'll notify their insurance companies. If you know the other party’s insurance company, send a copy of your notification letter to that company’s claims department (including the other party’s policy number, if you know it).

What to Include in Your Injury Claim Notification Letter

Your notification should be a simple letter giving only basic information and asking for a written response. It shouldn't discuss fault, responsibility, or the extent of your injuries; you will discuss those things later on in your injury demand letter. The initial notification letter should:

• Provide your name and address. You don't have to include your phone number or email address if you don't want to. Once you begin dealing with an insurance adjuster, though, you'll probably want to be able to communicate over email or phone. You're free to put whatever restrictions you want on such contact—for example, calls only in the evening but not during the day, or vice versa.
• Include the date, approximate time of day, and general location of the accident. The details of the location, if they become important, can be discussed later. In this letter, you only need to give a description identifying the accident, for example: “at the intersection of Main and Howard Streets,” or “at your store in the Broadway Shopping Center.”
• If your letter is to an individual or business rather than to an insurance company, ask those involved to refer the matter at once to the appropriate insurance carrier—and request that they inform you which insurance carrier it is.
• If you're writing directly to an insurance company, ask that it confirm whom it represents and whether it's aware of anyone else who might be responsible for the accident.
• If you're writing to your own automobile insurance company after a vehicle accident, include not only information about the accident but also the basic information you have about the other driver and vehicle—name, address, telephone number, license number, and insurance policy.

Before You Put Your Claim Notification Letter In the Mail

Include the date on every letter, and make sure you have a copy for your own files before sending it.

There's no need to send your initial notification letter by certified or registered mail. But if you receive no response from the other party or its insurance company within two weeks of sending your notification letter, you should repeat the process, this time requesting a return receipt from the post office.

Can I Email an Injury Claim Notification Letter?

Yes. It's usually fine to send an injury claim notification letter by email, although putting a hard copy in the mail is probably a better option.

If you do send your letter by email, it's best to write it using a word processing program (like Microsoft Word or Google Docs). Then, save the letter as a PDF or other similar file type, and attach that file to a brief email that you send to the insurance company or other recipient. This way, they'll open a clean, non-editable digital version of your letter. Never write the letter in the body of the email. Instead, include only a brief, professional message ("Please see the attached injury claim notification letter" or something similar) referring them to the letter.

What Happens After I Send an Injury Claim Notification Letter?

Notification of your injury claim is only the first step in the process. From here, if you're dealing with an insurance company, you'll need to actually file the claim. The insurer will be able to explain the specifics of doing this. After that, it's a matter of establishing who was at fault for the accident, documenting your injuries and other losses ("damages"), and negotiating a fair injury settlement.

In some situations, especially where there's no insurance that covers the accident, you'll be dealing directly with the at-fault person. You might try to reach an informal injury settlement with them, or you might need to take the matter to court.

Learn more about:

• determining fault in a personal injury claim
• proving your personal injury damages
• settling an injury claim, and
• when to sue for an injury.