It is your liability coverages of bodily injury and property that include a legal defense as part of your coverage. This coverage usually provides for a legal defense if another party in the accident files a lawsuit against you. Coverage is limited to the terms and conditions contained in your policy.

When you buy liability insurance, part of the insurance company's obligation is to provide a defense for you if you are sued. An insurance company will do this normally by hiring and paying for an experienced attorney to represent you in court. Even though the insurance company selects the lawyer and must approve the payment of all legal fees and other expenses of the lawsuit, the lawyer represents you.

If you are concerned with lawsuits being brought against you after an accident then you may want to up your liability limits and perhaps obtain an umbrella policy to protect your assets. You can obtain an umbrella policy with our partner Safeco by following this link or calling 1-800-936-0356.

It should be noted that in general small claims court do not allow lawyers to assist you in court so you would need to ask your insurance company what help they could provide you for a small claims lawsuit.