The average driver in Louisiana just assumes that car insurance will take care of everything after a motor vehicle collision. Individual drivers have to carry insurance to register their vehicles and legally drive on state roads.
Insurance companies are also subject to laws that mandate that they uphold their policies in good faith. Those insurance companies also invest a lot of money to help curate a positive brand image with catchy jingles and helpful characters in their commercials making it seem like filing a claim will be fun or at the very least easy.
As some people learn the hard way after a car crash, insurance coverage often isn’t enough for all of the costs they incurred.
What will insurance cover?
What insurance pays depends on both fault and the policy limits that apply. When the police or insurance companies determine that one driver is to blame for the crash, their policy will cover the costs of the other people affected. If you are at fault, the other party makes a claim against your coverage for any damage to their vehicle or injuries that they suffer. When they are at fault, you make the claim against their coverage.
If they only carry the minimum coverage required by the state, a major crash could leave expenses that insurance will not pay. The other driver might have just $15,000 worth of property damage coverage. The state does require more bodily injury protection. The lowest amount a driver could carry is $25,000 of coverage if they hurt one person, with a maximum of $50,000 of coverage for a crash where multiple people get hurt.
When a driver who causes a wreck has bad insurance or lets their policy lapse, the people trying to adjust to life with an injury or repair their vehicles may be left without the coverage they require.
Personal injury claims help close that gap
When insurance falls short, state law permits personal injury claims in certain scenarios. So long as you can show there was significant misconduct or negligence on the part of the other party, you can ask the courts to compensate you for any costs that insurance has not covered.
Learning more about what protects you after a car crash in Louisiana can help you ensure you aren’t the one who must absorb those costs.