What Happens Behind the Scenes in a Car Accident Claim?

One of the most time-consuming parts of any car accident claim is collecting medical records and billing statements from every provider you have seen. This sounds simple, but in practice it involves sending HIPAA-authorized requests to each provider, following up when responses are slow (which is common), cross-referencing billing codes with treatment notes, and identifying any gaps in the documentation that need to be addressed. A single case might involve records from an ER, an orthopedic surgeon, a physical therapist, a chiropractor, and a primary care physician, each with their own records department and response timeline.

Your attorney is also obtaining the police crash report, which in Colorado can take weeks to finalize. They review your auto insurance policy and the at-fault driver's policy to understand coverage limits, identify any underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage, and check for medical payments coverage. If there were witnesses, your attorney may be collecting statements. If there is dash cam or surveillance footage, they are working to preserve it before it is overwritten. This investigative foundation is invisible to you but critical to your case value.

Once your treatment is complete, your attorney compiles everything into a demand package. This is a detailed document that includes a narrative of the accident, a summary of your injuries and treatment, copies of all medical records and bills, documentation of lost wages and other economic damages, and an argument for non-economic damages like pain and suffering. A thorough demand package can take 2 to 4 weeks to prepare and may run 20 to 50 pages with attachments.

After the demand is sent, the insurance adjuster reviews it, often requests additional information, and eventually responds with a valuation and initial offer. Your attorney then engages in negotiation, which typically involves several rounds of counteroffers, phone calls, and sometimes mediation. Each round can take days to weeks as the adjuster seeks internal authority for higher amounts. Your attorney is making strategic decisions throughout this process about when to push harder, when to compromise, and when to threaten litigation. Most of this happens through phone calls and letters that you never see.

The goal is to find a balance between being an engaged client and recognizing that constant check-ins can actually slow things down. A practical approach is to agree on a communication cadence with your attorney at the start of the case. Monthly email updates work well for most people. These updates should cover what has been completed since the last update, what is currently pending, and what the next milestone is. This gives you visibility without requiring your attorney to interrupt substantive work for frequent status calls.

If your firm uses a client portal or case management system with client access, take advantage of it. Some firms provide online dashboards where you can see which records have been received, what stage your case is in, and upcoming deadlines. If your firm does not offer this, the communication tracker tool can help you maintain your own log of interactions and milestones.