Louisiana Auto Insurance Quotes and Regulations

Any auto insurance quote for Louisiana should calculate with the following insurance coverage or financial responsibility at a minimum:

15/30/25 – This is shorthand for the liability policy limits required and means you will need a minimum coverage of:

• $15,000 for death or injury to one person;
• $30,000 for death or injury to two or more people; and
• $25,000 for property damage to others

Nearly all car insurance policies in the US have a provision that will adjust your coverage from the minimums required in your state to the minimum insurance or proof of financial responsibility in another U.S. state. Thus, you do not need to get a new insurance policy for each state you are driving through. However, if you buy a policy in a low limits state (like Kentucky) but live in a high limits state (like Alaska), insurers will only write a policy where your car is principally garaged. So if your home is in Alaska, you should buy the minimum limits for Alaska.

Louisiana’s required insurance limits are low considering the cost of damages likely to occur in an accident. If you are in a serious collision and the damages you caused are greater than the coverage limits you purchased, you may be personally liable to pay for those damages that exceed your insurance coverage.

Car Insurance Regulations for Louisiana

Louisiana is a pure comparative negligence state. A comparative negligence legal defense is one that reduces the amount of damages that a claimant/plaintiff can recover for an injury due to negligence based on percentage of which the claimant’s/plaintiff’s own negligence contributed to cause the injury. So, if you have an accident, you and the other driver could be each at fault for 50% of each others’ damages. However, just because you have the same percentage of fault, does not mean you “cancel” out each other damages. You will have to pay for 50% of the other driver’s damages. So if you total their $50,000 car, you will be liable for ½ of the damage you caused – $25,000.

Driving Under the Influence in the State of Louisiana

In Louisiana, a second time offense of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is a misdemeanor offense. If you are 21 years or older, if you have a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level of .08% or higher while driving, Louisiana law presumes you are driving under the influence. If you are under 21, a lower BAC may apply to you. If you BAC is over .18%, harsher penalties may apply.

1st DUI

If convicted, you will be sentenced to a minimum of 2 days in jail or up to 6 months in jail and fined up to $1000.00, not including court costs and other fees associated with your conviction. Your license will be suspended for 90 days. SR-22 or FR-44 forms may be required with a 1st DUI.

A previous DUI counts as a prior for the purposes of sentencing if it occurred within 5 years of the current arrest. However, your DUI will stay on your record for 10 years.

2nd DUI

If convicted, you will be sentenced to a minimum of 30 days in jail or up to 6 months in jail and fined up to $1000.00, not including court costs and other fees associated with your conviction. Your license will be suspended for 6 months and you may be required to install an ignition interlock device for up to a year after your license suspension ends. You may also be required to complete up to 240 hours of community service in the city in which you were cited. SR-22 is required with a 2nd DUI.

Top Ten Car Insurance Companies in Loiusiana

These are the top ten insurance companies rated by market share in the state:

1. State Farm Mutual Insurance
2. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company
3. Geico General Insurance Company
4. Progressive Specialty Insurance Company
5. Travelers Insurance Companies
6. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
7. AAA Members Insurance Company
8. Hartford Insurance Companies
9. GMAC Insurance Company
10. Amica Insurance