- The letter opens the claim. A letter of representation tells the carrier your firm represents the client and that all contact should go through you.
- The claim number is the real delay. The letter goes out fast. Getting a claim number back often takes repeated calls and long holds.
- Most holdups start with missing details. Have the client’s insurance card and ID, the other party’s carrier and policy number, and the date and location of the incident before you send.
- One crash can mean several claims. The at-fault carrier and the client’s own carrier (PIP, MedPay or UM/UIM) each need their own letter and claim number.
- Hold time adds up fast. A mid-size firm with 60 new cases a month can spend around 120 staff hours on claim numbers alone.
- AI can do the chasing. HelloCounsel’s Case Opening agent calls carriers until the claim number is in your case file, inside Filevine, Litify, Neos or CasePeer.
A letter of representation tells an insurance carrier that your firm represents the client and that all contact should go through you. On a PI case it opens the claim. The slow part usually comes next: getting a claim number back, which can take repeated calls and long holds with the carrier.
- HelloCounsel’s Case Opening agent calls the carrier until the claim number is in the case file.
- It collects insurance cards and driver’s IDs from clients.
- It checks what the case file is missing and follows up until it’s complete.
Why does getting a claim number take so long?
The letter goes out quickly; the claim number is what stalls. The carrier has to log the letter, match it to a policy and assign the claim before anyone can give the firm a number. Until someone calls and asks, the file often sits, and the case can’t move to the next step.
Common holdups:
- Long hold times. Getting a claim number usually means calling the carrier and waiting on hold, often more than once.
- Missing policy details. Without the right policy number, insured’s name or date of loss, the carrier can’t find the claim.
- More than one carrier. A crash can involve the other driver’s carrier and the client’s own carrier for coverage such as PIP, MedPay or UM/UIM. Each needs its own letter and claim number.
- Documents still with the client. Insurance cards and driver’s IDs have to come from the client before the claim can be set up correctly.
- Chasing depends on staff time. Case managers chase claim numbers between other work. See automating outbound calls.
What should a letter of representation include?
It should identify the client, the claim and the firm, and ask the carrier to direct all contact to the firm. Most firms also ask the carrier to confirm coverage and send the claim number. Many request policy limits too, though disclosure rules vary by state.
Sample letters are published by state bar associations and PI firms. Once the letter is out and the claim number is on file, the case moves into pre-litigation case management.
What do you need to open an insurance claim on a PI case?
Most delays come from missing details, not from the carrier. Before the letter goes out, check you have the client’s insurance card and ID, the other party’s carrier and policy details if known, and the date and location of the incident. Missing any of these means another round of calls.
Before the letter goes out:
- Client documents. Insurance card and driver’s ID.
- The other party’s carrier. Insurer name and policy number, from the crash report or exchange of information.
- Incident details. Date, location and a short description of the loss.
- Every carrier involved. The at-fault carrier, plus the client’s own carrier for PIP, MedPay or UM/UIM where it applies.
What do slow claim numbers cost a PI firm?
Every day without a claim number is a day the case can’t move. Bills, records and correspondence all need to be tied to the claim. Staff time adds up too: each claim can take several calls and long holds before a number comes back.
Worked example · mid-size PI firm
| Input | Example |
|---|---|
| New cases a month | 60 |
| Carriers per case | 2 |
| Calls per claim number (including holds) | 3 |
| Minutes per call | 20 |
| Staff hours a month (60 × 2 × 3 × 20 min) | 120 hrs |
Illustrative figures; replace with the firm’s own numbers.
Those are hours your case managers spend on hold instead of with clients.
Stop waiting on hold for claim numbers
Our AI agent calls carriers and gets the claim number for you.
Schedule a demoShould staff, a vendor or an AI agent chase claim numbers?
Firms chase claim numbers in three ways: case managers call carriers themselves, a vendor handles case setup, or an AI agent makes the calls. All three get the number eventually. They differ in staff time, cost and whether the number lands in your case file without retyping.
| Case managers | Case setup vendor | AI case opening agent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Staff salary and hold time | Per-case fees | Custom pricing, no per-minute billing |
| Hold time | Your staff waits | The vendor waits | Nobody on your team waits |
| Follow-up | When staff have time | Set by the vendor | Calls until the number is in the file |
| In your CMS | Only if staff log it | Usually emailed or in a portal | Works inside your CMS |
| Best for | Low case volume | Firms that want to hand off setup | Firms that want every claim opened without hold time |
Whichever you use, review open claims without a number every day. Claim setup is one part of law firm client onboarding.
How does HelloCounsel’s Case Opening agent open claims?
HelloCounsel’s Case Opening agent does the chasing that opens a case. It collects documents from the client, calls each carrier until the claim number is in the case file, and checks what the file is still missing, so your team can focus on clients.
Here’s what the case opening automation does on each new case:
- Collects client documents: Gathers insurance cards and driver’s IDs from the client.
- Calls the carrier: Calls until the claim number is in the case file.
- Opens files together: Works every new case at once, with no one on your team waiting on hold.
- Catches gaps: Checks what the case file is missing and follows up until it’s complete.
- Frees your team: Handles the chasing that opens a case, so your team can focus on clients.
- Works inside your CMS: Filevine, Litify, Neos or CasePeer, with no new training for your team.
What do firms say about working with HelloCounsel?
“Working with HelloCounsel has been an outstanding experience. Their commitment to client service and innovation is evident in everything they do.”
Anthony Ramos, COO, Pendergast Law
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a letter of representation?
A letter of representation is a letter from a law firm to an insurance carrier, or another party, stating that the firm represents the client. It asks the carrier to direct all communication to the firm and usually requests the claim number and coverage details.
2. When should a PI firm send a letter of representation?
As soon as the client signs, to every carrier that may be involved: the at-fault party’s insurer and the client’s own carrier for coverage such as PIP, MedPay or UM/UIM. Sending early tells adjusters to stop contacting the client directly.
3. How long does it take to get a claim number?
It varies by carrier. Some confirm a claim number within days; others take longer, especially when policy details are missing or the letter hasn’t been logged. Following up by phone on a set schedule is usually the fastest way to get it.
4. Why does the claim number matter so early?
Providers, adjusters and your own case file all reference it. Getting the claim number early keeps bills, records and correspondence tied to the right claim, and stops the case from stalling while someone chases it later.
5. Can AI call insurance carriers for claim numbers?
Yes. HelloCounsel’s Case Opening agent calls the carrier until the claim number is in the case file, and works every new case at once, so nobody on your team waits on hold. Your team still handles anything that needs judgment.
6. Does the Case Opening agent work with my case management system?
The agent works inside Filevine, Litify, Neos and CasePeer, so claim numbers and documents land in the case file your team already uses, with no new training. If your firm uses a different system, raise it on a demo call.
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