The Duty of A Car Insurance Company If A Policyholder Was The At Fault Driver

If you have purchased an insurance policy from such a company, then the insurer has an obligation to arrange for your defense at any car accident trial. Still, there are certain times when an insurer would have the right to refuse to provide you with that sort of legal counsel.

When did you first tell your insurance company about the accident for which you have been identified as the at-fault driver?

By purchasing your policy, you made a contract with the insurance company. You were supposed to tell them about that accident just as soon as possible. Unless you were injured and hospitalized, you would not have a good reason or delaying the act of contacting the claims’ department, or your agent.

When policyholders fail to live up to their contract, the insurer has the right to refuse to satisfy the assumed obligation. In other words, the insurer’s duty vanishes, in such situations.

What sort of mistake had you made, the one that helped to cause the accident? Had you simply been a bit careless or neglectful?

An insurance company is supposed to arrange for the defense of any policyholder that has been negligent, and has caused an accident for that reason. However, if you had chosen to driver after consuming alcohol, or if you had been guilty of distracted driving, the insurer would not have the same obligation. Insurers do not have to pay for the lawyer, if a policyholder has committed an intentional act, and has caused a collision by doing so.

Did you plan to bring a claim for injuries against another driver? If you have named a third party, and are claiming that the same party is partly responsible for the collision, you cannot ask your insurance company to provide you with a defense lawyer.

How severely was the other vehicle damaged? Was the amount of damage greater than the limit on you own policy?

If that was the case, then that could be the reason that your insurance company has refused to provide you with an attorney. The insurance company has already paid the amount of money that it owed to the other driver. That was the sum of money that had been stated as the limit for your policy.

Do you still have questions?

If none of the mentioned situations seems to apply to your case/situation, then speak with a personal injury attorney in Huntsville. Above, there is no detailed explanation about claiming that a third party is responsible for the incident/accident. However, your lawyer would be able to give you the pertinent information that you seek.