What Is Bodily Injury Liability?
If you’re legally responsible for an auto accident that caused injury or death, your bodily injury liability car insurance can help protect you. This type of
car insurance coverage helps pay the costs of injuries for any passengers in the other car. It’s required by law in most states and may apply if you cause an accident that hurts a pedestrian. Keep in mind that bodily injury coverage limits vary by state.
To learn more about this coverage,
get a quote from the AARP
® Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford
1 today. You can also call The Hartford’s representatives at
888-413-8970 with any questions or to find out your state’s minimum amount of protection.
What Does Bodily Injury Liability Cover?
If you’re at-fault for a
car accident that injures passengers in another car, your bodily injury liability coverage may help pay for their:
Medical expenses: This coverage helps pay for emergency services and hospital care. It’ll also help cover costs for:
- Doctors’ visits
- Medication
- Crutches
- Recovery wheelchairs
Lost Income: If you injure another person in an accident and they need time off from work for ongoing care, this coverage can help pay their lost wages.
Legal fees: Bodily injury liability coverage can help pay for your legal defense fees if you cause an accident and the other driver files a claim against you.
Pain and suffering: This coverage can help compensate injured passengers from the other car if you cause an accident.
Funeral costs: If you cause an accident and a passenger in the other car dies, this coverage can help pay for their funeral expenses.
It’s also important to remember that
medical payments coverage can help pay for bodily injuries for you, your passengers and your family members in a car accident.
How Does Bodily Injury Liability Insurance Work
When you injure passengers in another car in an accident, this coverage can help pay their medical costs so you don’t have to. Typically, the injured person files bodily injury claims. Each claim usually includes information on:
- Soft tissue wounds, such as damaged tendons, ligaments or skin
- Hard injuries such as broken bones and joint or head injuries
- Whiplash trauma
- Permanent or residual injuries caused by the accident
- The date of the injury
- How the injury occurred
- The diagnosis
- The length of treatment and recovery
Often, bodily injury claims demand compensation for the injured person for past and future medical expenses. These payments come from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
How Much Bodily Injury Liability Coverage Do I Need?
Your bodily injury liability coverage is your first line of defense when you’re at-fault for an accident that injures the other driver’s passengers. To determine
how much car insurance you need, you’ll want to look at the value of your assets.
Bodily Injury Liability Limits
Bodily injury liability coverage generally has two coverage limits:
- Per-person limit: This applies to each person injured in an accident.
- Per-accident limit: This applies to each accident in which multiple people have injuries
The bodily injury liability insurance coverage amount is a "split limit," such as $100,000/$300,000. The first figure is the maximum limit of coverage for one injured person. The second figure is the coverage limit for two or more persons in any one accident or occurrence.
How Much Bodily Injury Liability Is Required?
State car insurance laws vary, so you’ll need to check your areas minimum limits. These laws do not have maximum amounts, which means you can increase your limit how you see fit. In most cases, you’ll want to raise your coverage amount. This can help make sure you’re fully protected if the injured person’s medical bills exceed your state minimums.
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), minimum liability coverage limits (per person/per accident) per state are:2
Alabama: $25,000/$50,000
Alaska: $50,000/$100,000
Arizona: $25,000/$50,000
Arkansas: $25,000/$50,000
California: $15,000/$30,000
Colorado: $25,000/$50,000
Connecticut: $25,000/$50,000
Delaware: $25,000/$50,000
District of Columbia: $25,000/$50,000
Florida: $10,000/$20,000
Georgia: $25,000/$50,000
Hawaii: $20,000/$40,000
Idaho: $25,000/$50,000
Illinois: $25,000/$50,000
Indiana: $25,000/$50,000
Iowa: $20,000/$40,000
Kansas: $25,000/$50,000
Kentucky: $25,000/$50,000
Louisiana: $15,000/$30,000
Maine: $50,000/$100,000
Maryland: $30,000/$60,000
Massachusetts: $20,000/$40,000
Michigan: $100,000/$50,000
Minnesota: $30,000/$60,000
Mississippi: $25,000/$50,000
Missouri: $25,000/$50,000
New Mexico: $25,000/$50,000
New York: $25,000/$50,000
North Carolina: $30,000/$60,000
North Dakota: $25,000/$50,000
Ohio: $25,000/$50,000
Oklahoma:$25,000/$50,000
Oregon: $25,000/$50,000
Pennsylvania: $15,000/$30,000
Rhode Island: $25,000/$50,000
South Carolina: $25,000/$50,000
South Dakota: $25,000/$50,000
Tennessee: $25,000/$50,000
Texas: $30,000/$60,000
Utah: $25,000/$65,000
Vermont: $25,000/$50,000
Virginia: $25,000/$50,000
Washington: $25,000/$50,000
West Virginia: $25,000/$50,000
Wisconsin: $25,000/$50,000
Wyoming: $25,000/$50,000
Get a Quote
Get a
car insurance quote today and learn how The Hartford can help protect you and your loved ones with bodily liability coverage.
You can also learn more about other essential auto policies, like property damage liability coverage or collision coverage, by calling The Hartford’s representatives at
888-413-8970.
Last Updated: September 21, 2023
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