Seattle Personal Injury Attorney Chris Thayer
Seattle Personal Injury Attorney Chris Thayer
Handling Personal Injury Claims in the Seattle Area and Throughout Washington Since 1995

My name is Chris Thayer and I am a personal injury attorney practicing in downtown Seattle. I handle personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death claims throughout the greater Seattle area, including Issaquah, Mercer Island and Kirkland.

I am here to help you.

Call for a free consultation (206) 340-2008

What to Expect after the Demand Letter

Posted Thursday, November 13, 2014 by Chris Thayer

alt textAfter your accident attorney in Seattle submits a demand letter to the insurance company handling the case, you may want to know what the next stage of your litigation is. In particular, you may want to know how much time you can expect to wait before you receive a settlement offer. However, your accident lawyer in Seattle can explain that the timing of a settlement is based on several factors.

Liability

For example, your accident attorney in Seattle can explain that if liability is not as clear, it may take longer to settle your claim. In some cases, it is much easier to tell which party is to blame. However, if your accident involved multiple vehicles, it may be possible that another person may be at least partially responsible for the accident. Additionally, if you may have contributed to the accident even if the insurance company’s client is partially responsible, the insurance company may take more time to assess your fault so that this amount can be discounted from the settlement offer.

Caseload

If the insurance adjuster who is primarily handling your case is also handling several other cases, it may take longer for the insurance adjuster to get back with your accident attorney in Seattle. The season of the year can also impact the number of cases that insurance adjusters are dealing with at any given time.

Preparation of the Claim

A significant factor that an accident lawyer in Seattle can explain to you is how documented the claim has been thus far. If your attorney has provided enough information to the insurance adjuster so that the adjuster can assess the value of the claim, this can help speed up the claims process in some cases.

Internal Policies

There may be an internal process within the insurance company that specifies the amount of time that a claim is expected to last. Other factors may affect the timing based on insurance company policies, such as how many supervisors must approve of the settlement.

If you would like to know a more approximate timeline in which you can expect a settlement, contact Chris Thayer by calling (206) 340-2008.