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Standing Up For What I Knew Was Right

One day when I was driving on the freeway, I was completely blindsided by another car pummeling down the hill. I didn't know what to do or what went wrong, but I knew things were bad. I couldn't feel my feet at first, and my face was covered in liquid that turned out to be blood. When the ambulance arrived I could see the concern on their faces, and it was frustrating to know what was about to come. Fortunately, I was able to get great medical care, and talk with a personal injury attorney that helped me to sort out everything else. Read this website to find out how accident attorneys can help you to make a difference in your own life.

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Standing Up For What I Knew Was Right

Tips for Choosing a Response Deadline for Your Demand Letter

by Dylan Tucker

A demand letter in a personal injury case should include a deadline. This is a date that you'll list in the letter and request that the other party responds to you by this date. The deadline is important—once you hear back from the other party, you'll begin to develop an idea of how your personal injury case will proceed. Does the other party show contrition and offer to settle? Or, does the other party deny responsibility and suggest that they want to go to court? Either way, here are some tips that you should use when you're choosing a deadline to include in your letter.

Consider Your Financial Situation

One of the considerations for effectively choosing your deadline is to consider your financial situation. For many people who have been injured, this can be an expensive time in terms of medical bills. Furthermore, your income may be drastically diminished if you have been unable to work. If you're looking at financial hardship that may worsen in just a period of days, keep this in mind when you choose the deadline for your demand letter. You'll want to get things rolling toward a settlement, and a shorter deadline can make that happen. However, if you have the financial means to endure a couple of weeks, there's nothing wrong with extending the deadline.

Be Reasonable

No one likes feeling pressured, and even someone whose negligence has resulted in your injury needs time to confer with legal representation. It's always a good idea to be reasonable when you select a deadline in your demand letter. A deadline that is too short can appear hostile. For example, if you send the letter on Monday and the deadline is Wednesday morning, it hardly gives the other party time to meet with an attorney. This can start off your interactions in bad faith, which could hurt you later on in the case. 

Determine When You Want the Settlement

You should also give some thought to when you want the settlement. For many people, the answer is "as soon as possible," although this isn't always the case. Perhaps you're still going through some difficult physical therapy and the idea of balancing legal action with this therapy may seem daunting. Or, maybe your doctor has you on some strong pain medication and expects you to need the medication for a period of weeks or more. You may not feel up to settlement talk when you're feeling groggy, so extending the deadline in this scenario may be a good choice.

For more information choosing the right deadline, contact a legal company like The Bregman Law Firm, P.C.

 

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