Understanding California’s At-Fault Insurance After a Car Crash

Every state has different laws and rules determining how an insurance claim will be dispensed. Our Los Angeles car insurance claim lawyer explains the difference between no-fault and at-fault car insurance, and which one California applies. It is important for families to know this because after a serious motor vehicle accident they will need to protect their rights to compensation in a crash by knowing where to turn for compensation.

In no-fault states, every car owner is responsible for maintaining their own insurance which pays a claim to that owner, regardless of who is at fault for the accident. After the benefits are paid out, the insurance companies will privately seek indemnification against the other based on fault.

But here in California, we are what is known as an at-fault state. That means that insurance claims are settled by determining who is “at fault” for the accident and that party becomes financially liable for the costs associated with that accident. If more than one person is at fault, the liability will then be shared proportionately by the percentage by which each party is determined at fault.

It seems quite simple at face value. The person responsible has to pay damages. But what happens if fault is not that easy to determine? What happens if there are conflicting perspectives? What happens if the police report is wrong in its interpretation? What happens when the other party’s insurance denies your claim?

These are all important questions that require an experienced Los Angeles car insurance claim lawyer to defend your rights to compensation under the law. If you have been injured in a car accident, fighting with insurance is the last thing you want to be doing. At times like this, your best recourse is to put it in the hands of one of our lawyers at Amicus Legal Group. For more information and a FREE case review, contact us today at (888) 588-1777. We are ready and willing to help.