Liability insurance is meant to pay for damage caused by a driver to others and their property. Some level of liability insurance is needed in every state, including Louisiana.
Geismar, LA – There is always the danger of an accident present when someone is driving. Even if the person makes an honest mistake, they can hurt others and cause thousands of dollars in property damage. For these reasons, drivers always need to have some kind of insurance to protect others in these situations. Auto insurance providers also offer other types of insurance, and each driver should assess their risk and how much they are willing to pay if there is an accident. Drivers also have the option of bringing an injury lawsuit against a person at fault, even if the damages from the lawsuit will be covered by liability insurance.
All drivers in Louisiana need basic liability coverage
Liability insurance is meant to pay for damage caused by a driver to others and their property. Some level of liability insurance is needed in every state, including Louisiana. Other kinds of insurance like coverage for damage to the driver’s own vehicle and protection against theft may be purchased, but the government does not require them.
The coverage amounts that are a minimum for all drivers include at least $15,000 worth of bodily injury for each person, $30,000 worth of bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 in property damage coverage. These amounts can be increased, but drivers are only required to have the minimum through their policy.
Lawsuits against an at fault driver
When a driver is found to be at fault for a crash, they will have to pay out damages to any victims. Because it is unlikely that most drivers would suddenly be able to afford tens of thousands of dollars, they need their insurance provider to be the one to actually front the money for a settlement agreement. The type of lawsuit brought against a driver is usually a negligence case that says the defendant driver breached their standard duty of care on the roads. This means that the plaintiff needs to present evidence of some kind of deviation from the traffic laws or the expected behavior of a reasonable driver.
Costs of an accident
Because a driver may owe several kinds of damages to the victim, these costs can quickly increase. Things like medical care and hospital bills are extremely expensive. The person’s lost wages and income while they cannot work can be significant as well. Courts can even award non-economic damages for pain and suffering, or punitive damages meant to punish the defendant for unacceptable behavior.
Auto accident lawyers in Louisiana
There are accident lawyers in Geismar who can help with the process of a civil lawsuit. Miller, Hampton, and Hilgendorf is a firm with extensive experience in these kinds of cases.
