The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

Cars are dangerous machines, and because even the best drivers are sometimes involved in car accidents, car insurance is a legal requirement to operate a car in most states. The rationale for requiring car insurance are that most people are unable to pay expenses related to a car accident at any given time, and without the ability to predict when accidents occur, the only way to avoid putting the burden on drivers who are not at fault is to require insurance before the car accident.

There are two types of car accident laws, and local insurance policies are written to coincide with these laws. In no-fault states, insurance policies are written so that your insurance covers you, no matter who is at fault for an accident. Typically, no-fault insurance includes a minimum amount of personal injury protection (PIP), property protection, and liability protection, which protects you from lawsuits due to injuries caused by your car in an accident. Twelve states have no-fault liability insurance: Florida, Michigan, New York, Hawaii, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Utah.

In states with tort liability laws, legally required insurance is to cover personal injury and property damage to other drivers in an accident. Your insurance pays when you are responsible for an accident, making it crucial for drivers to collect evidence and documentation to show who was at fault in a car accident.

However, in many cases, it doesn't matter when an insurance company is supposed to pay, because they will try to avoid their payment obligations.

If you are having trouble getting an insurance company to pay compensation owed after a car accident, an attorney can help. Please contact The Cochran Firm today for a free case evaluation.