Louisiana Auto Insurance Quotes
Reader’s Question:
What is the reason why the state of Louisiana require liability insurance?
Sean
Shreveport, LA
Liability insurance pays claims if you are responsible for damaging or hurting another individual or for damaging another individual’s property. Without insurance you would be personally responsible for taking care of these expenses which could run in to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending upon the type of injuries and the type of damaged car the other motorist and their passengers may have sustained.
According to Louisiana law, the only insurance you are required to carry is 10/20/10 liability coverage on your car. That is, if you are liable for injury or damage in an car accident, the minimum liability policy will pay up to $10,000 for bodily injury to one person up to $20,000 for bodily injury per accident to more than one person and $10,000 property damage per accident.
Louisiana Auto Insurance Company
Filed under: Auto Insurance Quotes, Louisiana Auto Insurance
Reader’s Question:
I just moved to Louisiana. Recently, I overheard my coworkers saying the state was a comparative negligence state. What does the term mean? How does it affect me?
Jamie
Shreveport, LA
When vehicular accidents happen, the first question that pops into people’s heads is: “Will my automotive insurance cover the damage?” Jamie, the answer to this question depends on which state you live in, what your car insurance coverage is and whether or not it was your fault. The policy varies depending on your location. For example, in some states, if you are the slightest bit at fault, the insurance company will not pay for the damages to your car or any injury you may have incurred. If I am not mistaken, this is called pure contributory negligence. You are either at fault or you’re not. This is a very strict system which I believe only five states currently follow.
If your co-workers refer to Louisiana as a comparative negligence state, that means the state takes into consideration the extent of your so-called negligence. After an accident, your automobile insurance company may conduct an investigation and send an adjuster to determine how much you were at fault and how much you are entitled to receive. The good news is this is negotiable. There aren’t fixed mathematical formulas to arrive at the figures. So get yourself a standard auto insurance and hire a good lawyer. Then again, nothing beats simply driving safely.
Cheap Car Insurance in Louisiana
Reader’s Question:
I’ve been shopping around for the cheapest car insurance available here in Louisiana, and I’ve noticed that agents almost always mention 6-month auto insurance. I wonder, what’s the reason for this? Isn’t it better for them if you choose longer terms?
Sheila
Kenner, LA
A six-month car insurance can be a good thing, depending on what your insurance needs are. If you plan to travel and visit some place for six months or less, for instance, it would be a waste to get policies with longer terms, right? Or it could be that you’re planning to purchase a new vehicle before year end. Or for various other reasons, some people actually prefer six months. If agents over there in Louisiana seem to always try to sell you six-month terms, it may be because this actually permits them to adjust your premiums twice a year, as compared to once for a one-year policy, for example. This could mean higher costs for you, the consumer, and higher collectibles for them, the automotive insurance company. But before you think they’re all money-grubbing cold-hearted leeches, it would be prudent to note that short terms could actually be beneficial to you because you can divide the payments according to a timetable that you think is more suitable for you.
A lot of people have monthly schedules, but it makes financial sense for the companies to charge you higher rates for monthly payments than for six months or a yearly total.
Louisiana Auto Insurance Plan
Reader’s Question:
I have purchased a car insurance policy here in Louisiana. Can I still lower my premiums?
Meg
Monroe, LA
I understand that you do want to save money, but bear in mind that your car insurance is there to assist against big losses when you get into an accident. It is really not just for minor incidents.
One way to lower your premiums would be to select higher deductibles. But in doing so, you must also be sure that you have adequate funds in your savings account to pay for the deductible costs if ever you have an accident.
Another thing you can do would be to cancel the coverages that you don’t need anymore–coverages for cars that you no longer finance through a bank or financial institution, or coverage on cars that are old and do not have much value, for instance. You must still be careful, though, because there are some cases that people canceled the coverages that aren’t required and were unfortunate enough to get involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, and they had to pay a large amount.
Finally, you should be aware of the discounts that are being offered by your car insurance provider. You can take safety driving courses, purchase safety and security devices or insure multiple cars with the same provider. You can also declare that you have an accident-free record or that you are a non-smoker, a preferred driver or a retiree. You can discuss with your agent in Louisiana the personalized discounts that you can avail of.
Louisiana Auto Insurance Minimum
Reader’s Question:
What automotive liability insurance coverage does Louisiana impose?
Andrew
Shreveport, LA
Having an automotive insurance policy entails many benefits, especially if your policy covers the minimum required by the state of Louisiana. Being a driver, you are expected to be responsible for your own safety and for the safety of those people around you (your passengers, fellow drivers and pedestrians). With liability automotive insurance, you get an assurance that damages to these people and to yourself are financially covered. This is a good way of protecting your assets because in effect, you are passing the financial responsibility to the automotive insurance company by letting them take care of the expenses brought about by the accident.
If you have a collision and comprehensive coverage, your automotive insurance will protect your vehicle from expenses brought by accidents, vandalism, or theft. This also serves as a financial responsibility guarantee to the institution where you borrowed money from to buy your vehicle. This coverage is most beneficial to those whose vehicles have high market values.
The Louisiana state law suggests that if you want to drive a motor vehicle, you should be able to present proof that you have the resources to cover any damages that you may cause to others. This proof of financial responsibility must cover 10 thousand dollars for the bodily injury claim of one person, 20 thousand dollars for the bodily injury claims of two or more persons (for one accident only), and 10 thousand dollars for the vehicle or property damage claims of the other party. This is referred to as the 10/20/10 minimum automotive liability coverage of Louisiana.
