Lifecycle of a Claim: Closing a Claim

This is the fourth installment of our series about the lifecycle of personal injury claims, in which we focus on what you can do to get more clients while providing them the best service possible.

When you close a personal injury claim, you reap the rewards of your firm’s hard work on a case. However, just because the case is coming to a close doesn’t mean that your team’s job is finished.

If you’re striving to offer your client the best service possible and to ensure your firm is collecting its fees, then closing a claim is a pivotal time to go the extra mile.

Set Expectations Before the Claim Enters Its Final Stages

One of the most effective ways to usher your client through the personal injury claim process is communicating clearly what they can expect at each stage. This means walking them through a potential timeline, the possible paths their claim might take, and when you’ll collect your fee post-settlement.

Setting expectations and revisiting these steps throughout the process will alleviate the stress and uncertainty your client might feel. This will also cut down on the number of questions you and your team will field from the client throughout the claim process.

Case Resolution and Client Communication

During the final stages of a personal injury claim, your client is likely very emotionally invested in the progress of their case. Their claim might be weighing heavily on their mind, and they’ll likely have many questions they want answered.

As their claim resolves, frequent and responsive communication is essential if you want to keep your client happy. Ideally, you and your team will be proactive during this period. Whenever there are new developments during the settlement negotiation process, your client should be the first to know. That’s true whether the news is good or bad.

Even if you’re being proactive, your client might still reach out to your firm for updates or with important questions. Do your best to respond to these questions and concerns as soon as you get them.

Billing

As mentioned above, you’ll want to make sure your client understands early on in the process how much you’ll  charge for your services and when you will collect your fees. Many personal injury attorneys will claim a percentage of their clients’ settlements, and you might arrange payment so that you collect your fee before your client receives their settlement.

Whatever your fee arrangement is, communicate it clearly with your client ahead of time so there will be no surprises once it’s time to collect.

Collecting

The collection process should be a top priority for your law firm. This pertains to both collecting the settlement from the insurance company and, depending on how you’re billing your client, collecting your fee from the settlement.

It’s important to know exactly how much you’re owed and how the money will be collected. The best way to keep track of this information is through a centralized database. A practice management software like backdocket will help your collection team know how much your firm is owed and what steps need to be taken to collect the money.

Managing Client Relationships After the Claim Is Resolved

You and your team have worked hard for your client, and you’ve been paid for the work you’ve done. However, that doesn’t mean your relationship with your client should end.

Remember that your clients can be the most effective ambassadors for your firm’s services. They can be not only referral sources for future business, but they can also provide you with reviews and testimonials that help garner more clients in the future.

Don’t forget to ask your clients to review your site online. If the client is willing, you might also consider asking them for a written or video testimonial that you can use on your website or in your marketing campaigns.

To turn your former clients into brand ambassadors, consider ways to stay in touch well after their cases are resolved. That could mean sending them cards or messages on their birthdays or holidays, or simply reaching out occasionally to see how they’re doing.

This will let your clients know they were more than just another claim you handled, and it will keep your firm top of mind if those clients know others in need of a lawyer.

You can also rely on your practice management software to keep you on track with former client outreach. With backdocket, you can set reminders on client milestones like birthdays or to reach out to past clients at regularly scheduled intervals.

Learn How backdocket Can Help You Close Claims

At backdocket, we know how crucial it is to resolve claims with an emphasis on client communication. We’ve built our practice management software to grow small- to mid-size law firms, and we customize our system to fit the way they work.

If you’d like to learn more about what backdocket can do for you, contact our team today to schedule a free demonstration.