Expert: Bennie719 - 7/17/2009

Question
I was recently involved in an accident where the other party was at fault.  My vehicle was tolled and the other party insurance company has taken care of everything except my medical bills.  I am going to send them a demand letter, but I am not sure how how much I should demand from them.  I was told to add all my expenses up and multiply them by 2 and demand this amount. Is this the correct procedure?  If you need more information, please let me know.

Answer
Hi Martha,
Although you do need some kind of a starting point to determine the value of your claim, there is no "one size fits all" magical
multiplier or formula.

There are many things to take into consideration, including, but not limited to the severity of your injuries, whether there were any broken bones or scars, if you have made a full recovery or if you
will need future treatment.  What type of tests were done, were you treated by a specialist and/or a medical doctor who prescribed physical therapy or did you just get a few dozen "feel-good"
massages from a chiropractor.

I am not an attorney and can't provide you legal advice.  I can work
with you and provide help that will assist you in YOUR determining the
true value of your claim and in YOUR determining the amount that you should list in your demand letter.

If you would like my input, please send a PRIVATE follow up and I
will respond with a list of the information that I need,

Bennie
San Francisco Bay Area