Call For A Consultation
Lafayette
337-232-6581
New Iberia
337-364-1816
Call For A Consultation
Lafayette
337-232-6581
New Iberia
337-364-1816
Southwest Louisiana’s harsh weather leads to complicated insurance claims, and when a storm hits, insurers have to move fast. Handling that surge, alongside the steady flow of auto and injury claims that make up any insurance defense caseload, takes more than legal knowledge. It takes a defense team that knows this area well.
The Lake Charles insurance defense lawyers at Caffery, Oubre, Campbell & Garrison, L.L.P. defend insurers and self-insured policyholders across Southwest Louisiana, and every file is staffed by experienced counsel from day one.
Whether you are an insurer, self-insured, or business facing litigation, our attorneys are ready to assess your matter and outline next steps.
Reach out to our firm to review your matter currently pending or expected in the Lake Charles area.
Southwest Louisiana’s exposure to hurricanes and tropical storms shapes a large share of the insurance defense work that comes through Calcasieu Parish, alongside the routine claims every carrier handles in any market.
Our insurance defense attorneys in Lake Charles can help with:
Each matter is staffed by a dedicated and trusted attorney who has already carried a comparable claim to trial, not just to a mediation table.
Our Lake Charles insurance defense matters are managed directly by senior counsel, ensuring consistent oversight from the initial notice of claim through trial. Our team includes:
Every file is assigned to one of these experienced attorneys directly. We ensure consistent, direct handling of every file by senior counsel, and no rotating cast of attorneys across the life of the matter.
Past successes do not guarantee future outcomes.
The attorney assigned to a matter sets the litigation budget and evaluates coverage positions directly, without waiting on a committee or a regional office to sign off.
That authority matters most in the days right after a storm, when a coverage position taken early can define how a claim resolves months later. A firm that has to route decisions upward loses that early window.
The same Lake Charles insurance defense attorney stays with your file from notice of claim through resolution, whether it’s heard in the 14th Judicial District Court or the Western District of Louisiana.
There are several rules that impact a Lake Charles insurance defense, and each one can change how a claim gets valued and defended. Louisiana’s version of these rules is not always what an out-of-state carrier expects, and that gap matters most in the first 30 days after a claim comes in.
| Law | What It Covers | The Standard | What’s at Stake |
| La. R.S. 22:1892 (Louisiana’s bad faith / prompt payment statute) | How fast an insurer must pay a claim once it’s substantiated | A satisfactory proof of loss generally must be paid within 30 days | A court that finds the delay arbitrary or capricious can add a penalty on top of the underlying loss |
| La. R.S. 22:1318 (Valued Policy Law) | How a total property loss is valued and paid out under a fire insurance policy | If the insurer set the property’s value to calculate the premium, it must pay that full value on a total loss, with no deduction, unless the policy discloses a different valuation method in equal-size print | An insurer that tries to pay less than the stated value on a true total loss risks a claim for the full policy amount |
| La. R.S. 22:1337 (Hurricane and named-storm deductibles) | How separate hurricane/named-storm deductibles are disclosed and applied, as distinct from the standard “all other perils” deductible | Insurers must use a specific, clearly disclosed form spelling out the hurricane/named-storm deductible as a percentage or dollar amount, and if a policyholder is hit by more than one named storm in a year, only the remaining portion of that deductible (or the standard deductible, whichever is greater) applies to the next storm | A disputed or improperly disclosed deductible calculation is a common flashpoint in storm-claim litigation, and getting it wrong can expose the insurer to a bad faith allegation on top of the coverage dispute |
| Art. 3493.1 (Prescriptive period for injury claims) | How long a plaintiff has to file suit | Two years from the date of injury for claims arising on or after July 1, 2024. Claims arising before that date still follow the former one-year rule | A claim can be time-barred entirely if suit is filed after the applicable window closes |
This information reflects Louisiana law as of July 2026.
Every matter is handled personally by the attorney assigned to it, with the continuity and attention a sophisticated defense practice requires.
Yes. We represent insurers and policyholders in matters filed in the 14th Judicial District Court, which covers Calcasieu Parish, and in the Lake Charles Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
Contact us with the file details and venue, and we will confirm availability. Every matter is staffed by senior counsel directly, ensuring a dedicated legal team handles your case from the start.
Fee arrangements are set directly with the carrier, third-party administrator (TPA), or policyholder client and vary by matter type and scope. We are glad to discuss our rate structure and staffing during an initial consultation.
Yes. Hurricane and storm claims are a core part of our Lake Charles caseload, and we build the defense file around the specific coverage issues these claims tend to raise, from proof of loss timing to disputed damage estimates
Louisiana allows a penalty on top of the underlying claim when a court finds an insurer’s delay in paying or adjusting a claim was arbitrary or capricious. We can build the claims handling record early, so the file already shows a reasonable process if that allegation gets added later.
Yes. Auto liability and premises liability matters make up a significant share of our Lake Charles insurance defense work, alongside the storm and property claims common to this region.
Southwest Louisiana’s storm exposure and everyday insurance defense caseload are not going anywhere. Caffery, Oubre, Campbell & Garrison, L.L.P. has defended insurers and policyholders across Acadiana for decades, with attorneys admitted before the Fifth Circuit and the Western District of Louisiana’s Lake Charles Division.
To review a prospective or current matter, contact our Lake Charles insurance defense lawyers today.
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100 East Vermilion Street
Suite 201
Lafayette, LA 70501Get Directions
Phone: 337-232-6581
101 West Main Street
Suite E
New Iberia, LA 70560Get Directions
Phone: 337-364-1816
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