In this short article, we’ll do our best to answer what the demand stage is and what a demand package is.
“What is the Demand Stage?”
In short, the term “demand stage” is commonly used to describe the time period between completing treatment and negotiations.
The attorneys at Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers use this stage in the claim process to gather all relevant information to evaluate your claim. Once we have everything needed, we send your demand package (sometimes called a settlement package) to the insurance adjuster so they can evaluate your claim and eventually start the negotiation process.
What’s in a Demand Package?
A typical personal injury demand package includes documentation of all expenses relevant to your claim, including:
- Medical bills
- Medical records
- Lost wages
- Other expenses relevant to your claim
If you have endured surgery, suffered permanent injury or scarring, your demand package may require more documentation in the form of special medical records from your physicians, an estimate of future medical expenses and future lost wages, and potentially an economic expert’s evaluation of your future damages. Some of our clients need a life care plan if their injuries are severely disabling.
Demand Package Prep Process
These extra efforts and important documents take time for proper and thorough preparation. At Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers, we don’t cut corners and we look under every stone. Once we send the demand package to the insurance company, we allow them reasonable time to review the demand and then we initiate negotiations.
When your claim is in the demand stage, our firm works tirelessly to receive all medical records and verify all bills. Our main goal in this stage is to get your claim moving to negotiations as soon as possible, but sometimes efforts to put together a settlement package are held up because of missing documents.
Video Transcript
So, a settlement demand packet is what we submit to the insurance company, setting forth the compensation that we’re seeking for our clients. Primarily, that’s going to include your wage losses, your mileage, your medical bills, and, of course, your medical records.
Your medical bills and your medical records are much more detailed than most people probably think about. The bill that the insurance company wants is not the bill that you get in the mail. It’s not the $240 ambulance bill that you get. It’s a very detailed bill that we have to obtain, and it has CPT coding and ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes. These are what allow the insurance companies’ computers to pull data from those bills and evaluate whether these are reasonable, customary charges and whether their computers think that they’re related to injuries that you sustained in the accident.
We want to be thorough and make sure we have every medical record and bill so we can get you the best compensation possible. We take all those nuggets that you tell us and that are in your medical records, and we use that to calculate what we think your pain and suffering is worth.
There’s no set formula. Some websites will say things like you get three times your medical bills. That’s just not accurate. Your pain and suffering is valued differently for every case and depends on you. It depends largely on what your providers put in your records because everybody says that they’re hurt, but we need to document that you hurt.
After we send the demand package, it takes about 30 to 60 days for the insurance company to fully review the packet. Once the adjuster reviews the demand package, we begin negotiations.
This process is very dynamic, and it actually takes a lot more time than expected. Some negotiations are very quick, and in the course of a 10-20 minute phone call, we can try and settle your claim. Some are more laborious, and every case is different. Some adjusters want additional documentation, but we do everything that we can to get you the maximum compensation and make sure that we leave no dollar on the table.
Because we have such strong relationships with the adjusters and insurance companies, we often get good offers. However, every case is different. We’re going to do everything in our power to get your claim resolved expeditiously, but also to get you every dollar in compensation that we have.
If your claim is taking longer than you feel it should, we understand you. We’re working hard to make sure that we’re getting all of your bills and records, documentation, your wage loss, and everything to get your case in a position to settle for you.
You’re our client. We have your best interests. We understand that this process is not enjoyable, but we promise to do everything we can to make it as stress-free as possible. We care about you. We care about your claim, and we want to get you the result.
Obtaining Medical Records and Bills
Because it is up to the medical providers to release and send the records and bills, this process can take some time. However, your case manager will continue to contact your providers for your outstanding documents. Unfortunately, it might take a while for the medical providers to send over the medical expenses and records. Our dedicated team will continue to request all relevant records and bills until we receive them.
For these reasons, your demand package could be on hold until the providers submit all necessary documents. At Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers, our goal is to help you seek maximum compensation for all your medical expenses and injuries. Therefore, your case manager generally will not submit your demand package to the adjuster until all bills and records are accounted for.
In some cases, despite the usual practice of waiting for all documents, we can submit the demand package to the insurance company reviewing your claim and then submit supplemental packages as needed. This is not common but is necessary in cases where our clients continue treatment for long periods of time.
“What Happens After the Demand Package is Sent to the Insurance Company?”
Once the demand package is sent to the insurance company, our personal injury team normally allows the adjuster 30 to 60 days to review the demand package. There are times when this process is shorter and other times when it is longer.
During this time, we prepare to negotiate by reviewing all of the medical records, bills and economic damages. If the insurance company has not answered our demand in a reasonable amount of time, we will contact them to start the negotiations process. After the adjuster makes the contact, we will begin negotiations.
Our goal is to settle your case in a timely and efficient manner. However, we also want to ensure that you receive fair compensation. The negotiations process can take some time, but our firm is dedicated to protecting your best interests.
We will keep you updated during the negotiations process and you may call for an update anytime.
Once we reach a final offer, your attorney will contact you to discuss your best legal options, which may include settling the claim or filing a lawsuit.
Questions About the Demand Process?
If you have any questions or concerns about the demand process, please don’t hesitate to contact our office. We are happy to answer any questions you might have.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer from Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, please contact Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer in North Carolina today. We have twelve convenient locations in North Carolina, including Greenville, Raleigh, Goldsboro, Jacksonville, Kinston, Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Winston-Salem & Garner.
