how long does it take for a response from insurance company to a demand letter from attorney

by Alfonzo Parker 4 min read

Fortunately, your attorney from HawkLaw, PA can review your demand letter and help you get your settlement underway. Once you’ve written your demand letter and sent it on to the insurance company, the response time may vary. Typically, you can expect an answer within a few weeks. However, sometimes this process can take as long as a few months.

In the best-case scenario, the insurance company will respond to your demand letter within 30 days. However, you generally have to wait anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months because no law sets a deadline.Aug 11, 2021

Full Answer

How long does it take to get an insurance demand letter?

Based on our own internal analysis of over 100 individual auto accident cases, Erie Insurance had slowest average response time for demand letters. In a sample of 10 cases, Erie's average time to respond to our demand letter was 86 days. The shortest response time from Erie was 6 days and the longest was 6 months.

How long does it take for an insurance company to respond?

Once you’ve written your demand letter and sent it on to the insurance company, the response time may vary. Typically, you can expect an answer within a few weeks. However, sometimes this process can take as long as a few months.

How long does progressive take to respond to a demand letter?

May 11, 2020 · In some cases, insurance companies will immediately agree to pay this amount. But in most cases, they will negotiate the settlement until a fair amount is agreed upon by all parties, including our clients, our attorneys, and the insurance company. Factors that Affect Demand Letter Response Time

How long does progressive take to respond to auto accident claims?

Nov 27, 2020 · Upon sending a demand letter you should be contacted via phone within 1-3 days to set up a meeting up to 2 days after that. While setting up this meeting the adjuster should ideally deal with your attorney, However, sometimes the adjuster will try to go around your attorney and call you directly.

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How long does it take to respond to a demand letter?

Once you've written your demand letter and sent it on to the insurance company, the response time may vary. Typically, you can expect an answer within a few weeks. However, sometimes this process can take as long as a few months.

Do insurance companies respond to demand letters?

Insurance companies are not required to respond to demand letters, so they will either ignore it, or send a response.Feb 26, 2021

What happens if an insurance company doesn't respond to a demand letter?

If an insurance company has still not responded to your demand letter, the next step may be to contact a legal representative and file a lawsuit. ... Once those run out, you could lose the right to sue. When you file a lawsuit, the insurance company is served paperwork that legally obligates them to respond.

How effective is a demand letter?

The Results of a Demand Letter Bottom line: you should generally not expect a demand letter to yield a quick and effective resolution, except in the rarest of cases where the stars align (enormous damages, clear liability, and reasonable defendant and opposing counsel on the other side).Mar 12, 2014

How long does it take for insurance to respond to a demand?

In the best-case scenario, the insurance company will respond to your demand letter within 30 days. However, you generally have to wait anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months because no law sets a deadline.Aug 11, 2021

Can a company ignore a demand letter?

Ignoring a demand letter — particularly if you don't read it at all — usually gives the obligee no other choice but to initiate a formal legal action against you or your business, perhaps even sooner than they otherwise would have.

How long does an insurance company have to investigate a claim?

about 30 daysGenerally, the insurance company has about 30 days to investigate your claim. Pro tip: Your state's statutes of limitations will also determine how much time you have to file and settle a claim.

How do I get my insurance company to respond?

Call Your Insurance Adjuster's Manager I've done this many times and it's very effective when trying to work with insurance companies. If your claims adjuster is not responding to you, call the insurance company operator/customer service phone number and for the name and number of your insurance adjuster's manager.Mar 23, 2021

Why do lawyers take so long to settle a case?

Once a case gets filed in court, things can really slow down. Common reasons why a case will take longer than one would hope can include: Trouble getting the defendant or respondent served. The case cannot proceed until the defendant on the case has been formally served with the court papers.May 28, 2020

How long does it take to prepare a demand letter?

Seven to ten days is typical. End the letter by stating you will promptly pursue legal remedies if the other party does not meet your demand. Make and keep copies. Make a copy of each letter before sending it.

What happens if a demand letter is ignored?

The fact that you ignored the demand letter will be used against you in court. The demand letter will likely end up as an exhibit to the court and jury in any subsequent litigation, and your response to the demand will be judged accordingly.Mar 24, 2019

How long does it take State Farm to respond to a demand letter?

In a sample of 10 cases, Erie's average time to respond to our demand letter was 86 days....How Long Does It Take the Insurance Company Take to Respond to a Demand Letter?Ins. Comp.State FarmNo. Cases20Avg. (Days)67Shortest (Days)15Longest (Days)18711 more columns

How long does it take for Progressive to respond to a demand letter?

thirty daysIn general, Progressive responds to demand packages in an average of thirty days. Considering this, it can take a few months to begin the negotiation process after initially filing your claim with an experienced attorney.

How long do insurance companies respond?

The law then provides that the insurers have a 3 month time limit to reply in full and say if they accept responsibility for your claim (and so we will pay you damages), or whether they deny responsibility, giving reasons why. Sometimes, insurers reply much earlier than the 3 month time limit.

How long does an insurance company have to investigate a claim?

about 30 daysGenerally, the insurance company has about 30 days to investigate your claim. Pro tip: Your state's statutes of limitations will also determine how much time you have to file and settle a claim.

How long does it take to investigate a car insurance claim?

How Long Does an Insurance Claim Investigation Take? After filing a claim for property or car insurance, expect to hear from the insurance adjuster within one to three days.Sep 23, 2021

What happens if an insurance company doesn't respond to a demand letter?

If an insurance company has still not responded to your demand letter, the next step may be to contact a legal representative and file a lawsuit. ... Once those run out, you could lose the right to sue. When you file a lawsuit, the insurance company is served paperwork that legally obligates them to respond.

What do you do when an insurance company won't respond?

If You Can't Get a Response, File a Lawsuit Finally, if you're not getting a response to your demand letter and other efforts to resolve your injury claim, you want to pay attention to the statute of limitations in your state. This is a law that sets a deadline on filing a personal injury lawsuit in court.

Why do insurance companies take so long to pay out?

Generally, the money an insurance company receives in premiums goes into investment accounts that generate interest. The insurance company retains this money until the time they pay out to a policyholder, so an insurance company may delay a payout to secure as much interest revenue as possible.

How Long Does an Insurance Adjuster Have to Respond?

In most states, the insurance adjuster has no obligation to respond to your demand letter. Even in states where they do have an obligation to commu...

How Long to Settle an Auto Accident Insurance Claim?

The average time frame for fully resolving an auto accident insurance claims varies greatly depending on whether the claim involves personal injuri...

How Long Should It Take for an Insurance Company to Respond to a Demand Letter in an Auto Accident Claim?

Based on our study above, two months is about the average time it takes to get a response from an insurance company after you send them a demand le...

What Insurance Company Is the Slowest to Respond to Demand Letters in Accident Cases?

Erie Insurance Group is slow in responding to demand letters. Based on our own internal analysis of over 100 individual auto accident cases, Erie...

What Insurance Is the Fastest to Response to Demand Letters in Auto Accident Cases?

Progressive, a company we do not enjoy working with, might be the fastest company to respond to a demand letter. Our analysis of over 100 auto acci...

What Should I Do to Get a Faster Response to My Demand Letter?

If you feel like the insurance adjuster is taking too long to respond to your demand letter, your only practical option to speed things up is to st...

How long does it take to get a claim resolved?

If you are claiming personal injuries related to the accident, the timetable for resolving the claim is around 8 to 16 months. How Long Should It Take for an Insurance Company to Respond to a Demand Letter in an Auto Accident ...

Why is it important to have a lawyer?

Parenthetically, this is why it is important to have a lawyer in serious cases that have a history of success in a courtroom. If your law firm does not have a history of success, your offer is going to suffer.

What is demand letter?

Writing a “demand letter” is one of the initial steps taken in the personal injury claims process. The demand letter is a document sent to the at-fault party’s insurance company, explaining your side of the story, the losses you have incurred, and the total amount you are requesting as a settlement. Once this letter is sent to the insurer, there ...

How long does it take for insurance to respond to a demand letter?

The insurer can take as long as they want, and in general, that can be anywhere between a week to eight months.

Do insurance companies respond to demand letters?

Insurance companies are not required to respond to demand letters, so they will either ignore it, or send a response. Three of the most common responses sent by insurance companies are:

How long do you have to respond to a demand letter?

Settlement agreements don’t happen overnight, so you may want to give the insurance company between two weeks to 30 days.

How to prove personal injury?

However, a skilled and experienced personal injury lawyer can: 1 Conduct a complete investigation into the incident and gather all evidence necessary to prove liability. This can include photo or video surveillance, statements from eyewitnesses, accident reports, and any other documentation related to the case. 2 Ensure that you are evaluated by trusted medical professionals who can treat your injuries. 3 Gather all documentation showing the extent of your losses, including medical bills, lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses, and more.

How long does it take to file a claim after a car accident?

After most injuries, a claim will be sent to an insurance carrier representing the at-fault party. Generally, claims must be made within a relatively short amount of time after the incident occurs. Most car accident insurance carriers require that the incident be reported within 24 hours after the collision.

Can an insurance company accept a demand letter?

In rare cases, an insurance carrier may accept the amount that you asked for in the demand letter. This is not likely to happen with most personal injury demand letters that are sent. Typically, the insurance carrier will only accept an offer after they have gone through several rounds of negotiations with the injury victim.

After You Send Your Letter

Once you’ve written your demand letter and sent it on to the insurance company, the response time may vary. Typically, you can expect an answer within a few weeks. However, sometimes this process can take as long as a few months.

Factors That Could Delay Your Answer

When determining what’s holding up your demand letter response, keep in mind that there may not be a problem with your letter at all. Instead, the problem may lie with the insurance adjuster. They may be dealing with many cases at once, and that sometimes means that you won’t get as speedy a response for your questions and your letter.

Learn How a Lawyer Can Speed Up Your Settlement

Even if you know how much your claim is really worth, there’s a chance that your insurance company may be causing you problems. You may not know how long after a demand letter a settlement can take, so you’ll need guidance from an attorney who can help you seek answers.

Is it bad to settle a personal injury claim in Louisiana?

The Louisiana personal injury lawyers at Dudley DeBosier know that time is of the essence when it comes to personal injury claims. Mounting expenses and no income are a bad combination, but it’s even worse to accept a settlement that barely covers the expenses you’re facing today—let alone the ones that will continue building months or years down the road.

Why do insurance companies offer lowball settlements?

For example, insurance companies are known for offering “lowball” settlements immediately after accidents to make it impossible for victims to pursue additional compensation in the weeks or months to come. They may do the same even after receiving demand letters by negotiating significantly reduced settlements.

What is an insurance adjuster?

The insurance adjuster’s workload —Insurance adjusters are individuals who work for insurance companies and who are tasked with managing claims from policyholders or from people who were harmed by policyholders. When adjusters are working through many claims at the same time, their responses may be delayed.

How long does it take for an insurance company to respond to a demand letter?

Having said that, there are a few things you can do to "encourage" a prompt response. And if you haven't heard from the insurer in 45 to 60 days, you can and should follow up.

Can you file a personal injury claim against another driver?

If you're involved in an injury-related insurance claim after a car accident, you probably know that claimants don't typically run to the courthouse right off the bat and file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver.

What is the process of reaching a settlement?

Reaching a Settlement. The majority of civil suits settle long before a trial is necessary. The negotiation process is a multifaceted procedure that involves all parties meeting with their respective lawyers and discussing the case. Settlements depend on the strength of each side’s case, and their available resources.

How long does it take to settle a lawsuit?

The discovery process can take anywhere from six months to a year, and the if the parties cannot reach a settlement, they may go before a mediator to arrange a settlement.

What is the process of litigation?

Firm News. The litigation process follows a relatively standard procedure once an attorney meets with a client. As the two negotiate, they determine when an appropriate time to issue demands will be. Initially, they have two choices – issuing a demand letter or going straight to a lawsuit.

How long does a trial last?

Once a trial date is set, the actual trial can last from a day to several weeks, depending entirely on the schedule of the judge, lawyers and parties. It is common for trials to be rescheduled frequently, often for simple reasons, and this is often why they take more than one day.

Can an insurance company ignore a demand letter?

In personal injury or car accident cases, demand letters sent to an insurance company may receive one of several replies. It is entirely possible, in fact, for the company to simply ignore the letter altogether. Typically, however, the process will enter negotiation between attorney and insurance company.

What is a demand letter?

Demand Letter. Demand letters are an integral part of the legal process. These letters are used as a first step, before litigation, to compel a person or business entity to honor an agreed-upon legal or contractual obligation. These documents establish a paper trail that justifies the validity of some debt or claim.

When demanding that a person perform an agreed-upon task, it is essential to provide a time line that

When demanding that a person perform an agreed-upon task, it is essential to provide a time line that is reasonable. For example, expecting a person to complete the sale of a house within 72 hours is not reasonable, because the title process alone can run at least a week. In the demand letter, set a reasonable amount of time for the duty to be accomplished. If time is not an immediate concern, grant a window of 30 days.

Who is Jason Gillikin?

ForThePeople.com: Writing a Demand Letter. Writer Bio. Jason Gillikin is a copy editor and writer who specializes in health care, finance and consumer technology. His various degrees in the liberal arts have helped him craft narratives within corporate white papers, novellas and even encyclopedias.

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How Long Does It Take For An Insurance Company to Respond?

  • Unfortunately, there is no way to know how long an insurance company will take to respond to a demand letter since there is no deadline by law. The insurer can take as long as they want, and in general, that can be anywhere between a week to eight months. However, that doesn’t mean that you must continue waiting if the insurance company is taking an inordinate amount of time to re…
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Factors That Influence An Insurance Company’S Response Time

  • The following factors can influence how quickly or slowly an insurance company will respond to your demand letter: 1. If there have been earlier communications regarding your injuries and medical bills. 2. The number of medical bills in comparison to the at-fault party’s policy limits. 3. The amount and complexity of the medical records and bills 4. Whether or not you have had any …
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Common Responses to A Demand Letter

  • Insurance companies are not required to respond to demand letters, so they will either ignore it, or send a response. Three of the most common responses sent by insurance companies are: 1. Rejection: it’s often in the best interests of an insurance company to settle a claim before courts get involved; but, valid claims are routinely rejected in bad faith, to deter individuals from pursuin…
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Speak to An Experienced San Diego Personal Injury Attorney

  • If you are pursuing a personal injury claim, hiring a lawyer who is experienced in going up against insurance companies is crucial. At CaseyGerry, our San Diego Personal Injury Attorneywill negotiate on your behalf to achieve the best possible settlement for your claim and if necessary, will fiercely represent you in court. Call (619) 238-1811 to set up your free consultation today.
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How Long Does It Take For An Insurance Company to reply?

  • Response times to demand letters sent to an insurance carrier range anywhere from a week or two. It could also take months. The exact response time will depend on the insurance carrier, the scope of the case, and the complexity of the claim itself. In general, insurance carriers can take as long as they want, as there is no set law that details how long they have to respond to demand le…
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What If The Insurance Carrier Doesn’T Respond to A Demand Letter?

  • If an insurance carrier refuses to respond to a demand letter, the next step to force a response will likely be filing a personal injury lawsuit. You need to seek assistance from a skilled Nashville personal injury lawyerto help with this process. It is also crucial to keep in mind the statute of limitations for personal injuryclaims in Tennessee, which is one year from the day the injury occ…
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Three Most Common Responses to Demand Letters

  • If an insurance carrier does respond to a demand letter, they will typically respond in one of three ways:
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Why An Attorney Would Be Helpful During This Process

  • If you or somebody you care about has been injured in an accident caused by the careless or negligent actions of somebody else, you should work with an attorney for help with your case as soon as possible. Most injury victims do not have the resources or legal expertise necessary to conduct a complete investigation into their case or secure full compensation for their losses. Ho…
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How Long Does A Settlement Take After A Demand Letter Is sent?

  • The litigation process follows a relatively standard procedure once an attorney meets with a client. As the two negotiate, they determine when an appropriate time to issue demands will be. Initially, they have two choices – issuing a demand letter or going straight to a lawsuit. The timeline following a demand letter, then, diverges into two branches depending on how the parti…
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The Immediate Future

  • In personal injury or car accident cases, demand letters sent to an insurance company may receive one of several replies. It is entirely possible, in fact, for the company to simply ignore the letter altogether. Typically, however, the process will enter negotiation between attorney and insurance company. Very rarely do insurance companies either accept a claim without negotiati…
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Reaching A Settlement

  • The majority of civil suits settle long before a trial is necessary. The negotiation process is a multifaceted procedure that involves all parties meeting with their respective lawyers and discussing the case. Settlements depend on the strength of each side’s case, and their available resources.
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What Happens If The Parties Cannot Reach A Settlement?

  • Sometimes, however, the two parties cannot reach a settlement. This can be because the litigating party decides to reject the insurance company or defendant’s counteroffer. In rare cases, it can be because the defendant party does not respond to the demand letter in the first place. Regardless, the next step for most attorneys is to initiate a lawsuit. It is crucial that lawyers initia…
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