We give each case the time and attention it deserves, and we treat everyone who walks through our doors like family.
From auto accidents to defective product injuries to workers’ compensation claims, we’re here to help Louisiana injury victims.
We value building relationships with the many people and organizations that make Louisiana a great place to live.
Dudley DeBosier has a trusted team of personal injury lawyers who have been helping injured people in Louisiana.
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May 11th, 2020
When injured victims come to us for help after accidents, they have usually two questions on their minds: how much money are they owed, and how soon can they get it? We get it; medical bills wait for no man, and they’re often more than anyone can reasonably afford.
The answers to both of those questions depend on many factors, including the severity of the injuries, the impact the injuries have on the victim’s ability to work, and the insurance companies’ level of cooperation or pushback against our demands.
When we build claims for our clients, our primary goal is ensuring that they get fair compensation for what they’ve been through. That means collecting plenty of evidence, calculating how much money they’re owed based on their current and estimated future accident-related expenses, and telling the insurance company to pay up. The last part involves writing and sending a demand letter, which is a document that outlines exactly how much money our client deserves for everything they’ve experienced.
Once a demand letter is in the insurance company’s hands, the ball is in their court to either pay up or face trial. This can be a frustrating time for clients, especially when they’ve waited for weeks or months to get the money they’re owed. Every claim is different, and every insurance company’s response to demand letters is different, but estimating how long it will take to get a settlement after this important step depends on a few factors.
First, it’s important to explain what’s in a demand letter. Although insurance companies are reluctant to pay settlements to injured victims, they’re even more reluctant to go to trial. Demand letters written by attorneys on behalf of their clients get insurance companies a chance to review the facts and evidence that has been compiled and avoid a trial by cutting a check right then and there. At Dudley DeBosier, it’s our goal to ensure all demand letters are as convincing as possible by including information such as:
Included in each demand letter will be a monetary amount that is determined by our lawyers and client. 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.
There are four primary factors that can affect how long it will take for you to get your check after we send our demand letter to the insurance company, and they include:
It’s important to note that getting paid immediately isn’t always in your best interests. 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. Some law firms will accept these offers to minimize their workloads, but we fight to ensure our victims get paid fairly. This is because once you accept a settlement, you likely will not be able to get any more money, even if it becomes clear later that the amount you received wasn’t enough for all your accident-related bills.
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.
When you contact us, we’ll do everything in our power to ensure that you get your life back to normal—and that means getting you paid in full and on time. We don’t let insurance companies get away with delaying payments indefinitely or paying our clients less than what they deserve. Call (866) 338-4649 today and see how we’ll take care of you and your loved ones. That’s the Dudley DeBosier Difference.