Many motor vehicle accidents result in injury to one or more parties. Victims of accidents in the Lafayette area often need financial resources to cover their losses after a crash. Filing one or more insurance claims is the logical way to acquire such resources.
What is a first-party insurance claim?
The first thing most victims do after receiving medical attention is to file a first-party insurance claim. Depending on your policy terms, a successful claim provides you with at least some compensation. In most cases, this only covers financial expenses such as medical bills and property damage.
What is a third-party insurance claim?
When another party caused your crash, you can file a third-party claim with the other driver’s insurance company. For example, say a drunk driver failed to stop at an intersection and subsequently collided with your car. Since the motorist is at fault for the accident, you would naturally target their insurer for financial recovery.
Do you need a lawyer to file an insurance claim?
You can file insurance claims on your own. However, most victims benefit from attorney representation when seeking insurance payouts. Like other businesses, insurers do not like to lose money. Therefore, they typically try to avoid paying any more than they have to, even when claims are valid.
Insurance providers will likely not attempt to avoid paying when dealing with an attorney. They know that attorneys are aware of the tactics these companies rely on to avoid paying. Having an attorney deal with insurers on your behalf means a faster resolution in most cases. Attorney representation also benefits Louisiana motor vehicle accident victims if they decide to file a lawsuit against the at-fault motorist.