← Evidence letters

Joint Scene Exam Notice to Responsible Party

Send toResponsible party
WhenSame time as the insurance carrier version

💡 When to use it

Send this letter to the responsible party themselves, alongside the carrier version, whenever you schedule a joint scene exam. Their insurer may deny or limit coverage because of a policy exclusion, and then the person is on their own. This letter gives them a fair chance to attend and protect themselves.

  • Always send both versions. The carrier gets the carrier notice. The person or business gets this one, even if they have insurance.
  • Write for someone who has never heard of subrogation. Explain what a joint scene exam is in one sentence.
  • Ask them to forward it to their insurer. That's the fastest way to get a carrier and their expert involved.
  • Tell them they can attend personally. Coverage questions and exclusions are between them and their insurer, and they should not assume someone else will protect their interests.
  • Keep the spoliation warning plain. Tell them what not to do and what can happen if they do it.

Why their attendance helps you, too: When the responsible party shows up, your investigator gets the chance to ask them questions at the scene, such as what they saw, what they used, and when. Those answers often fill gaps that the evidence alone can't. Keep the letter's tone welcoming so they actually come.

✉️ The letter

Fill in the boxes and the letter updates as you type. Anything you leave blank stays [in brackets]. What you type stays on your device. Free downloads and prints include a light Subrobuddy watermark.

[Responsible Party Name]
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]

[Today's Date]

RE: Notice of Joint Scene Exam and Request to Preserve Evidence

Our Insured: [Insured's Name]
Our Claim No.: [Client Claim Number]
Date of Loss: [Date of Loss]		Loss Location: [Loss Address]
Police or Fire Report No.: [Report Number], [Department]

Dear [Responsible Party Name]:

On [Date of Loss], a loss occurred at [Loss Location] that damaged property belonging to [Insured's Name]. [Client Name] insures [Insured's Name] and is handling a claim for this loss. [Your Company Name], as recovery agent for [Client Name], is investigating the cause of this loss, and you have been identified as a party involved.

Joint scene exam

Our office has retained [Expert Name] of [Expert Company] to examine the scene and evidence. [Expert Company] is hosting a joint scene exam on [Exam Date] at [Exam Time] at [Exam Location]. A joint scene exam is an inspection where every party involved, and their experts, can see and document the evidence at the same time.

You are welcome to attend in person, bring your own expert, or both. Please reply by [Reply Date, 9 business days from today] to let us know whether you or anyone on your behalf will attend. You may contact [Expert Company] directly to coordinate:

[Expert Name]
[Expert Company]
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Phone] · [Email]

Your insurance

If you have insurance that may cover this loss, such as homeowner's, renter's, auto, or business insurance, please forward a copy of this letter to your insurance carrier or agent right away and ask them to contact our office. Please also send us your insurance carrier's name, your policy number, and any claim number.

Even if you have insurance, you may want to attend the joint scene exam yourself. Your insurance carrier may limit or deny coverage because of an exclusion or other terms in your policy. If that happens, you would be responsible for protecting your own interests, and this exam may be your only chance to see the evidence before it is collected.

Please preserve all evidence

Please do not remove, repair, alter, damage, test, or discard anything related to this loss, including [the scene, equipment, components, debris, photographs, video, and records], until all parties have had the chance to examine it. If evidence is removed, damaged, altered, or discarded, you risk a claim of spoliation of evidence. Depending on the jurisdiction, spoliation can lead to court sanctions, a finding that the lost evidence would have been unfavorable to you, or a separate claim for damages. If something needs to be moved or repaired for safety, please contact our office first.

If we do not hear from you by [Reply Date], the joint scene exam will proceed as scheduled, and evidence may be documented, collected, and retained by [Expert Company].

If you believe this letter reached you in error, please contact our office.

Sincerely,

[Name]
[Title]
[Company]
[Address]
[Phone] · [Email]