How Do Car Accident Court Proceedings Go in Louisiana?

After you’ve been involved in an auto wreck, you probably have many questions running through your mind in regards to vehicle repairs, hospital bills, filing an insurance claim, and whether you will have to go to court to get through it all. It is quite common for injury victims to want to know as much as possible about going to court so they can better prepare for what’s ahead. 

With that in mind, we have addressed the car accident claims process and court procedures below so you can prepare yourself accordingly.

Building Your Case

Before we can do anything with court or with the insurance company, we need to establish fault. The determination of fault will enable us to gather the evidence we need against the liable party so we can file your claim with their insurance company, and in court. 

Some of the different types of evidence we’ll be looking to gather include witness statements, video footage, police reports, expert testimony, medical records, and photographs, to name a few. 

Negotiations with the Insurance Company

Once we have determined who is to blame for causing your accident and related injuries, we can go ahead and file an insurance claim. Dealing with the insurance company can be tricky, as the insurer is not going to be on our side and will likely do everything possible to reduce the amount of your award. 

However, your lawyer will have years of experience in negotiating with the insurance company and will be prepared for whatever tricks the insurance adjuster has up their sleeve. 

It is important to note that the insurer is only obligated to provide compensation up to the limits of the insured’s policy, which may not be enough to cover the full extent of your losses. If this is true for your case, or if we are unsuccessful in compelling the insurer to pay, we’ll be ready to go to court. 

What to Expect in Court

If your case needs to go to court, both parties will have the opportunity to present evidence to support their cases. Your claim will be heard by a judge and possibly a jury, who will then make a determination as to whether the named liable party is, in fact, liable for your losses. They will also decide how much you will be awarded. 

Work with a Louisiana Car Accident Lawyer

If you have additional questions about the Louisiana court process for car accident claims, or are interested in further discussing the individual details of your case, meet with a qualified Louisiana car accident lawyer at the Law Office of Braud & Gallagher. 

When you are ready to schedule your free claim review, you can give us a call at 1-800-256-5674 or fill out the brief contact form at the bottom of this page.