Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers | May 9, 2025 | Car Accidents
Georgia requires drivers to have minimum amounts of car insurance. State Farm is a familiar automobile insurance company in Georgia. If you are involved in a car accident, you may have to deal with State Farm. It is good to know what to expect from State Farm as you try to settle an accident claim, including the response time for settlement demand letters.
What Is a Demand Letter in a Car Accident Claim?
A settlement demand letter is usually written by a personal injury attorney after they complete their investigation and gather evidence supporting your claim. A demand letter is a formal request for compensation to settle a personal injury claim.
The demand letter generally provides details about the following:
- How the car accident occurred
- A discussion of relevant laws creating liability for damages
- Details about your injuries and impairments
- An explanation of your economic and non-economic damages
- The total you agree to accept to resolve your claim
A demand letter begins the settlement negotiations for a car accident claim. The timeline for responding to a demand letter and negotiating a settlement depends on numerous factors.
Factors Impacting the Timeline for How Long It Takes To Respond to a Demand Letter
Insurance companies are not required to respond to demand letters within a set time. Generally, insurance companies respond within 30 days of receiving a demand letter. However, numerous factors can impact the timeline, including:
- Complexity of the Case: Cases that involve catastrophic injuries, complicated issues related to fault, multiple parties, and other complex issues can take longer to review.
- Internal Issues: Insurance companies may be busy. If the company has a high caseload, it could take longer to receive a response to a demand letter.
- Clear Evidence of Liability: The evidence proving fault for causing the car accident could impact the timeline for a response. Clear evidence that proves the insured driver is responsible for causing the car accident could speed up the process.
- Issues Related to Liability: Disputes related to who caused the crash or who is responsible for the damages can make the process take longer.
- Lack of Documentation: Failing to provide sufficient documentation to prove all allegations in your demand letter can cause delays and for example, failing to include adequate medical records to prove the severity of your injuries.
- Catastrophic Injuries: Sustaining catastrophic injuries can complicate cases in many ways because the damages increase significantly, causing the insurance company to take extra time to evaluate the claim.
An insurance company may engage in deliberate stalling tactics. Dragging out the timeline for a response to a demand letter could pressure an accident victim to accept a lower settlement amount.
While you wait for a response from State Farm, keep records of additional expenses related to your claim. Follow up with State Farm to inquire about the status of the demand letter. If you hire a car accident lawyer, your attorney will handle these matters to pressure the insurance company to respond.
What Responses Can I Expect From State Farm to a Demand Letter?
You can expect to receive one of four responses to a demand letter:
- Acceptance: State Farm accepts your settlement demand and agrees to pay you the amount you offered to settle.
- Request for More Information: State Farm requests additional information and documentation to evaluate your settlement demand.
- Deny the Claim: State Farm denies they have any liability for your claim and refuses to pay your demand.
- Counteroffer: State Farm denies your settlement demand but offers to pay a lower amount to settle your claim.
In many cases, an insurance company counters with a lower amount. You can accept the lower offer or counteroffer with a higher amount. Back-and-forth offers are common negotiation tactics in car accident cases.
Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer for a Car Accident Settlement in Atlanta, GA?
You are not required to hire a car accident attorney to prepare a demand letter or accept a settlement with an insurance company. However, a settlement agreement is an enforceable contract.
The agreements used by insurance companies contain clauses that waive your right to file a lawsuit or pursue other claims related to the car accident. Therefore, if you discover your damages are worth much more than you were paid, you cannot sue for more money. Likewise, if you discover you could have asserted an additional claim for more money, you cannot pursue that claim.Insurance companies consistently undervalue damages. They will not tell you if you accept an amount that is lower than the value of your damages or if you are giving up a valid claim. Hiring a car accident lawyer ensures that someone is protecting your best interests. Personal injury attorneys offer free consultations, so you’ll almost certainly benefit from seeking legal advice before accepting a settlement offer.
Contact the Atlanta Car Accident Lawyers at Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers Today
For more information, contact the Atlanta car accident law firm of Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation. We have convenient locations in Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Lawrenceville, Mableton, Smyrna, and Roswell.
We serve Fulton County and its surrounding areas:
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Atlanta
201 Joseph E Lowery Blvd NW Suite 312,
Atlanta, GA 30314
Open 24/7
(770) 900-9000
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Sandy Springs
5555 Glenridge Con, Suite 975,
Sandy Springs, GA 30342
Open 24/7
(678) 990-7024
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Lawrenceville
265 Culver St S. Suite A.
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
Open 24/7
(678) 626-5067
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Mableton
5701 Mableton Pkwy SW Suite 108,
Mableton, GA 30126
Open 24/7
(706) 480-5487
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Smyrna
2400 Herodian Way Ste#220,
Smyrna, GA 30080
Open 24/7
(678) 922-4497
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Roswell
110 Mansell Cir #111,
Roswell, GA 30075
Open 24/7
(678) 582-8466