Demand Letter Drafter
After your client has completed treatment or reached maximum medical improvement, when you have the records and all damage figures ready.
A demand letter is usually the first formal step toward resolving a personal injury claim without litigation, and its quality directly shapes the settlement offer that comes back. A vague, thinly documented demand invites a lowball response; a tightly argued one with itemized damages signals that you are trial-ready and have done the work.
This is a task Claude handles well. Give it the liability facts, the treatment history, and your damage figures, and it returns a structured, persuasive letter that ties each injury to the incident and supports every dollar of the demand. You stay in control of strategy and numbers; Claude produces the first draft so your time goes to refining the argument rather than assembling boilerplate.
Use the prompt below as a starting point. Replace the bracketed placeholders with your case specifics, then review and adapt the output to your jurisdiction and your client. Claude's draft is attorney work product to refine, not legal advice, and not a finished letter to send unreviewed.
The Prompt
I represent the claimant in a personal injury matter. Draft a pre-suit demand letter to the liability carrier. <medical_records> [PASTE THE MEDICAL RECORDS AND BILLS, OR A DETAILED SUMMARY WITH PROVIDER, DATE, AND PAGE REFERENCES] </medical_records> <case_facts> Incident type: [e.g., auto accident, slip and fall, premises liability] Date of incident: [DATE] Jurisdiction: [STATE] Liability facts: [HOW THE DEFENDANT WAS AT FAULT, WITH SOURCES SUCH AS THE POLICE REPORT] Lost wages: [AMOUNT AND CALCULATION BASIS] Other economic damages: [e.g., property damage, out-of-pocket costs] Impact on daily life: [DESCRIBE] Demand amount: [YOUR TARGET] Insurance carrier, adjuster, and claim number: [DETAILS] Policy limits, if known: [AMOUNT OR UNKNOWN] </case_facts> Structure the letter as follows: 1. Introduction identifying the parties and the incident 2. Liability analysis tied to specific negligent acts 3. Injury narrative: connect the incident to each injury, citing the record (provider, date, page) for each injury and course of treatment 4. Itemized damages table with supporting calculations 5. Pain and suffering section built on the specific life impacts above 6. Demand amount with a response deadline of [DAYS, consistent with any [JURISDICTION] time-limited-demand requirements] 7. Reservation of rights Flag any damages figure that the pasted records do not support. If something I need is missing or ambiguous, say so instead of assuming. Do not invent facts, citations, or quotations; mark anything you are unsure of [VERIFY]. This is a draft for attorney review.
Example Output
A 3-5 page demand letter with itemized damages table, liability analysis citing specific negligent conduct, and a persuasive pain and suffering narrative.
Illustrative example — names, figures, and facts are fictional.
[Law Firm Letterhead] October 14, 2026 VIA CERTIFIED MAIL & EMAIL Ms. Karen Doyle, Senior Claims Adjuster Meridian Casualty Insurance Co. Claim No. MC-2026-44817 Re: Claimant: Daniel Ruiz | Date of Loss: March 3, 2026 Dear Ms. Doyle: This firm represents Daniel Ruiz for injuries sustained in the March 3, 2026 rear-end collision caused by your insured, Mr. Thomas Vael. Liability is not in serious dispute: Mr. Vael struck Mr. Ruiz's stationary vehicle at the I-35 exit ramp, and the police report (No. 26-10293) cites him for failure to control speed. INJURIES & TREATMENT As a direct result of the collision, Mr. Ruiz suffered a C5-C6 disc herniation, cervical radiculopathy, and lumbar strain. He completed 42 physical-therapy visits and underwent a C5-C6 epidural steroid injection on May 9, 2026, reaching maximum medical improvement on August 1, 2026. ITEMIZED DAMAGES Emergency & imaging (Mercy Regional) ......... $ 8,420 Orthopedic & pain management ................. $ 12,650 Physical therapy (42 visits) ................. $ 6,930 Epidural steroid injection ................... $ 4,100 Lost wages (6 weeks @ $1,540/wk) ............. $ 9,240 -------------------------------------------------------- Economic damages ............................. $ 41,340 PAIN AND SUFFERING Mr. Ruiz, a 38-year-old warehouse supervisor, could not lift his infant daughter for nearly three months and continues to experience numbness in his dominant hand, limiting both his work and his role at home. DEMAND Based on the foregoing, demand is hereby made in the amount of $145,000 in full settlement of this claim. This offer remains open for thirty (30) days, after which we are prepared to file suit. All rights are expressly reserved. Sincerely, [Attorney Name], Esq.
Tips
- •Include specific dollar amounts for every damage category; vague demands get lowball responses.
- •Reference the adjuster by name and claim number in the opening paragraph.
- •If this is a time-limited or policy-limits demand, confirm your jurisdiction's statutory content and timing requirements before sending.
- •Attach a damages summary spreadsheet as an exhibit.
- •Treat the output as a draft for attorney review; verify every citation, quotation, date and figure against the source before relying on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I send a demand letter in a personal injury case?
Generally after your client reaches maximum medical improvement (MMI) and you have final figures for medical specials, lost wages, and other economic damages. Demanding too early (before the full extent of the injuries is known) risks undervaluing the claim. The prompt asks for treatment status precisely so the letter reflects a complete damages picture.
Will Claude's demand letter be ready to send as-is?
No. Treat the output as a strong first draft. Verify every figure against the file, confirm the liability narrative matches the record, tailor the tone to the specific adjuster, and adjust for your jurisdiction before sending. The attorney remains responsible for the final letter.
How do I get the most persuasive output?
Be specific. Provide concrete liability facts, an itemized damages breakdown with exact dollar amounts, and detailed pain-and-suffering impacts on daily life. Vague inputs produce generic letters; precise inputs produce a letter an adjuster takes seriously.
Is it ethical to use AI to draft a demand letter?
Yes, when done responsibly. ABA Formal Opinion 512 permits AI use in legal work provided the lawyer supervises the output, protects client confidentiality, and verifies accuracy. Avoid pasting privileged client identifiers into consumer AI tools without appropriate data protections, and always review the draft before it leaves your office.
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