When you are involved in an automobile accident caused by another driver, you are immediately adverse to that driver’s insurance company. First, your goal is to have your vehicle properly and completely repaired, or to be paid the full value of your vehicle if it is a total loss. The goal of the other driver’s insurance company is to pay you as little as possible if your car is a total loss, or to have it repaired as cheaply as possible. The insurer may try to pay only for cheaper “after market” parts, and may ignore any diminished value of your vehicle caused by significant damage.Next, if you are injured in the accident, your goal is to be compensated for all of your injuries, including lost wages, medical expenses, and other damages such as pain and suffering. The insurance company’s goal is to pay you the minimum amount it possibly can for all items of your damage.
Most individuals have no training, education, or experience with which to determine the amount of money due to them for property damage or for personal injury. Automobile insurers, on the other hand, have thoroughly trained employees, including appraisers, claim adjusters, and attorneys, armed with years of experience and full knowledge of the most recent legal developments. The untrained consumer simply cannot match the resources of the insurance company, and even worse, the consumer can’t even determine what amounts are actually due to him or her by the insurer.
For almost thirty years, attorney Gary Koederitz has represented hundreds of individuals involved in automobile accidents. These cases have involved every conceivable mode of transportation, and every imaginable way in which an accident could occur. Mr. Koederitz has represented consumers against probably every insurance company licensed to do business in the state of Louisiana. With this extensive experience, and a commitment to protecting the rights of injured individuals, Gary Koederitz has required the insurers of at-fault drivers to fully and fairly compensate his clients for all of their damages.
It is also important for the auto accident victim to be aware of the deadlines that apply to insurance companies with regard to inspecting and repairing the consumer’s vehicle, having it repaired or paying for a replacement, providing a rental vehicle to the consumer, and paying medical expenses when that coverage is available. Many companies will not volunteer to timely offer these benefits unless they are prompted to do so by an attorney. Additionally, in some circumstances, consumers may recover penalties and/or attorney fees from insurers for delaying inspection, repair or replacement of the vehicle, providing a rental car, and paying medical expenses.
When insurance companies first receive claims, their usual procedure is to promptly collect as much information as possible, such as a recorded statement from the injured victim, and to have the injured person sign medical releases and other forms. It is usually not advisable to provide this information to the other insurer immediately, and there is no legal requirement that the injured victim do so. However, insurers often simply request and receive this information from the consumer, without telling that person that he or she is under no obligation to provide it. The information is often later used against the injured victim by the insurance company. Always contact an experienced attorney before providing information to the other driver’s insurer and before signing any documents that they prepare.
Often, a person injured in an automobile accident will have health insurance or other coverage provided by Medicare, Medicaid, or another source. Although the consumer may have to reimburse these medical expenses to the health insurer or other payor at the time of settlement, under Louisiana law, the consumer can obtain the benefit of the healthcare discounts bargained for by health insurers and Medicare, and pass that benefit on to the client. The attorney can typically also negotiate a reduction in the amount to be repaid to the health insurer or Medicare, resulting in a greater recovery by the client.
At Koederitz Law Firm, LLC if your case is accepted, an experienced Louisiana car accident attorney, supported by qualified staff in numerous fields, will fully investigate your Louisiana auto accident claim. If we believe that your car accident claim has merit, our Louisiana Lawyers will aggressively enforce your rights.
Our Car Accident practice encompasses the State of Louisiana, including West Baton Rouge Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, St. Bernard Parish, Orleans Parish, Caddo Parish, Lafayette Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Rapides Parish, the Louisiana Gulf Coast, Houma, New Orleans, Hammond, Metaire, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Slidell, New Iberia, Chalmette, Tallulah, Bogalusa, Covington, Franklin, Abbeville, Morgan City, Minden, Winnsboro, Gonzales and all Louisiana cities in between. Louisiana Car Accident Lawyer
Koederitz Law Firm, LLC
4607 Bluebonnet Blvd., Suite B
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Telephone: (225) 295-9494
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