The Pre-Litigation Process

Pre-litigation Process

The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is constantly busy with traffic. Unfortunately, traffic contributes to automobile accidents whether the traffic is stop-and-go or an individual not paying attention to their surroundings. Once an individual is hit by another vehicle, he or she may be concerned with their bodily pain or they are worried about the property damage. Either one of those concerns is suitable enough to seek an attorney to determine how to address those concerns. The hired attorney or law firm will begin the case in pre-litigation.

Pre-litigation starts with a law firm sending a letter of representation to the insurance company. This letter informs the insurance company you are filing a claim against the person or company who caused the accident. The letter will include the attorney’s contact information, a brief summarization of the facts of the case, and the injuries the individual suffered as a result of the accident. Depending on the severity of the accident, the attorney’s office will advise the individual to see a doctor to receive medical treatment for their suffered injuries. If the doctor determines the individual’s injuries are more extensive than the care the doctor can provide, the doctor may refer the person to a specialist. The attorney’s office will gather all of the medical bills to calculate the total cost of treatment and other costs that were incurred due to the accident. For example, some of the other costs could be lost wages, the total cost of out-of-pocket medical expenses, and pain and suffering. All of these costs will be exhibited on a summary of expense sheet created by the attorney’s office. The is formally known as a demand letter.

The purpose of the demand letter is to inform the insurance company what the value of the claim is worth so they can pay for the expenses incurred. Typically, insurance companies will not easily write a check for the value of the claim. Insurance companies are known to pay as little as possible, therefore it is important to hire an attorney who will represent you to the best of their ability. The pre-litigation process will end with your attorney and insurance adjuster negotiating the value of the case. Both parties will continue to negotiate until they can come to an agreement on the amount the insurance company will compensate.

The Reyes Law firm has been litigating personal injury lawsuits for 25+ years in Tarrant County, Dallas County, and other counties around Texas. Eric Reyes is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Law by the National Board of Trial Advocates. Eric Reyes and his litigation team are well equipped to handle the pre-litigation part of a case. However, if your case does not settle in the pre-litigation phase our law firm is more than willing to take the case to trial if the insurance company dose not want to reasonably compensate your case. The law firm has a large network of medical professionals, such as medical doctors, chiropractors, orthopedic surgeons, and pharmacies to help with any medical condition you have acquired as a result of the accident. If you have any questions about the process, please give our office a call at (817) 332-1522.