Helping Injured Montanans Navigate The Insurance Maze

In many personal injury cases in Montana, an insurance company is on the hook to pay all or a portion of the injured person’s damages. Unless the negligent party who caused the accident is a large corporation or a wealthy individual, insurance is often the only realistic source of compensation for the victim’s injuries. As a result, experienced personal injury lawyers spend a lot of time dealing with insurance issues and negotiating with insurance companies.

Identifying potentially available coverages is the first step. In a car accident case, the negligent driver’s insurance company is obligated to pay any damages up to the policy limits. If those policy limits are insufficient, uninsured or underinsured coverage may be available from the injured party’s own insurance company. In non-auto accident cases, homeowner’s or business liability insurance may be available.

But identifying a potentially applicable insurance policy is not the end of the fight. In many cases, the insurance company denies coverage for the accident in question. This can lead to a court fight in which a judge is asked to rule on whether the policy provides coverage. At the Edmiston and Colton Law Firm, we understand the law of insurance coverage and how to use it persuasively when advocating for our clients in a courtroom.

Once coverage is established, the insurer will often make an initial settlement offer. At Edmiston & Colton, we evaluate these offers carefully and discuss them with our clients before making a counteroffer. If the insurer refuses to make an acceptable offer after negotiating with us, we are prepared to take the case to trial, where a jury’s findings of liability and damages could obligate the insurer to pay.

Negotiating with insurers takes knowledge, experience and assertiveness. At our Billings law firm, we have proudly sought justice for injured Montanans since 1987. We have extensive experience in identifying available coverages and negotiating with insurance companies to make sure our clients get the compensation they deserve.