How Much Will a Louisiana Car Crash Cost if You Aren’t at Fault?

Your motor vehicle is probably one of the most expensive pieces of property in your name. It is also one of the most dangerous tools that you may use on a regular basis. Vehicles are responsible for thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths in Louisiana every year, which is why the state mandates insurance coverage.

All drivers should carry insurance to protect themselves and the public against the consequences of a major wreck. How much will you end up paying related to a car crash if you are not the one at fault?

You May Pay Whatever Insurance Doesn’t Cover

The problem with the liability insurance system in Alabama is that the person who causes the wreck is the one whose coverage pays for all the costs that others incur. If the driver to blame for the wreck has a very small policy, you may not have enough financial reimbursement for your full costs.

Louisiana only requires $25,000 the property damage coverage. The number of people hurt determines how much bodily injury coverage a driver has. A basic policy compliant with state law can provide just $15,000 of coverage for lost wages and injuries, although the coverage will increase to $30,000 if two or more people get hurt or die in a wreck.

Whether you drive a brand-new vehicle that will cost far more than that to replace or you suffer a major injury and then have to miss weeks of work, the other driver’s policy might not be enough to pay for your losses. You can sometimes bring a claim against your own coverage if you have uninsured and underinsured motorist protection. Of course, such claims may increase how much you pay for your policy in the future.

You Could Take the Other Driver to Civil Court

Alabama law permits those with provable financial losses related to a car crash to bring a claim against a driver who is negligent at the wheel or who broke traffic laws. You can claim any losses that insurance will not cover in a lawsuit against a driver who hurt you.

Sometimes, you may even be able to bring a lawsuit against a third party, like a vehicle manufacturer or the employer of the other driver. In theory, if you make use of all of the resources available to you, you may not have to absorb any costs from a car crash at all. Knowing your rights after a motor vehicle collision can help yoyou secure an appropriate outcome.