← Opening letters

Subrogation Opening Letter to Insured

Send toInsured
WhenThe investigation opens

💡 When to use it

Send this as the first letter to the insured when your office opens a subrogation investigation. It explains what's happening, tells them their deductible will be included once their carrier pays on the damages, and gets them documenting any other out-of-pocket costs while the evidence is fresh.

  • Write for the policyholder. Most insureds have never heard of subrogation, and a letter from a company they don't know can look like a scam. Name their insurance carrier in the first paragraph.
  • Don't say anything has been paid. Most of the time nothing has been paid yet when this letter goes out. Say the deductible will be included automatically if the carrier makes a payment on the damages.
  • Ask about other out-of-pocket costs. Items the policy excluded, rental, lost time, or landscaping are common. Pursuing those requires a separate agreement letter, so don't promise anything yet.
  • Teach them how to document. Vague, handwritten numbers are the fastest way to lose a recovery. Ask for itemized estimates and invoices that break out materials, labor, time, and cost.
  • Ask them to keep damaged items. A discarded part can end the recovery before it starts.

✉️ 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.

[Insured's Name]
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]

[Today's Date]

RE: Subrogation Investigation Opened

Insurance Carrier: [Client Name]
Claim No.: [Client Claim Number]
Our File No.: [Your Company File Number]		Date of Loss: [Date of Loss]
Loss Location: [Loss Address]

Dear [Insured's Name]:

[Your Company Name] handles recovery for [Client Name], your insurance carrier. We are writing to let you know that our office has opened a subrogation investigation for your loss on [Date of Loss]. Subrogation means we look into whether another person or company caused the damage, and if so, we work to recover the money your insurance carrier pays on your claim from the party responsible.

Your deductible

In the event your insurance carrier does make a payment on your damages, our office will automatically include your deductible of $[Insured's Deductible] in our recovery efforts. You do not need to do anything for it to be included. If we are successful, we will contact you about your deductible reimbursement.

Other out-of-pocket costs

If you had other costs from this loss that your insurance does not cover, please contact our office. Examples include items your policy excluded, like landscaping, trees, or fences, as well as rental costs, lost time from work, or other expenses you paid yourself.

If you would like our office to pursue these costs for you, we will send you a separate agreement letter to review and sign. We cannot pursue costs beyond your deductible until that agreement is in place.

How to document your costs

Good documentation makes a big difference in a recovery. Please:

  1. Document the scene. Take photos and video of all the damage and the area around it, not just the damaged items. Show where the damage started, if you can tell.
  2. Keep damaged items and parts. Please do not throw away, repair, or remove anything that may have caused the damage, such as an appliance, hose, or part, until our office tells you it's okay.
  3. Gather your receipts. Save receipts, invoices, and proof of payment for everything you paid. Photos of paper receipts are fine.
  4. Ask your repair companies for itemized estimates and invoices. This includes landscapers, water mitigation companies, contents cleaning or repair companies, and contractors. Each one should break down:
    • the repair work performed
    • materials used and their cost
    • time spent and labor rates
    • the total cost

Handwritten totals or one-line invoices are hard to recover on. A detailed breakdown shows exactly what the damage cost.

Receipts to keep

If you had to leave your home or replace things because of this loss, keep a receipt for every cost, even small ones. Save receipts for:

  • Hotels or temporary housing, including pet-friendly rooms, short-term rentals, and any deposits
  • Meals and groceries you bought because you couldn't cook at home
  • Everyday items you had to buy again, like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, and other toiletries
  • Clothing and shoes you needed while your own were damaged or out of reach
  • Household goods, like bedding, towels, dishes, and cleaning supplies
  • Baby and pet supplies, like diapers, formula, pet food, and boarding or kennel fees
  • Prescriptions or medical supplies you had to replace
  • Laundry and dry cleaning
  • Extra travel costs, like added mileage, gas, parking, or a rental car
  • Moving and storage for your belongings during repairs

Write a short note on each receipt about what it was for. A shoebox of receipts with notes is much easier to recover on than a total from memory.

Contact us

If you have questions, additional costs, or information about how the loss happened, please contact our office. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

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