{"id":967,"date":"2020-02-19T17:01:20","date_gmt":"2020-02-20T01:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freedomgeneral.com\/blog\/?p=967"},"modified":"2021-09-07T08:03:12","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T15:03:12","slug":"what-is-bodily-injury-liability-coverage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freedomgeneral.com\/blog\/what-is-bodily-injury-liability-coverage\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Bodily Injury Liability Coverage?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>With all of the car insurance terms that get thrown around in the world of car insurance, it can be hard to understand what differentiates one type of coverage from another. You might have heard the phrase \u201cbodily injury liability coverage,\u201d but what&nbsp;<em>is<\/em>&nbsp;bodily injury liability coverage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article is designed to demystify this often-misunderstood type of coverage, and to help you find&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.freedomgeneral.com\/\">cheap car insurance<\/a>&nbsp;that includes bodily injury liability coverage. We\u2019ll cover what it is, how it works, what it covers, how much coverage you need\/want, and how much it will cost you. In the end, the question of \u2018what is bodily injury coverage?\u2019 won\u2019t seem so confusing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/freedomgeneral.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/bodily-injury.jpg\" alt=\"image of a car accident with bodily injury\" class=\"wp-image-968\" srcset=\"https:\/\/freedomgeneral.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/bodily-injury.jpg 600w, https:\/\/freedomgeneral.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/bodily-injury-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>So, what is bodily injury liability coverage?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In basic terms, bodily injury liability coverage will pay for the injuries that happen to someone besides you in a car accident in which you are at fault. For example, let\u2019s say that you change lanes without signaling or checking to see if there\u2019s another car in the lane next to you. This causes a collision, which results in personal injury to the driver of the other vehicle and their passenger. Because you\u2019re at fault, you would be legally liable for the costs of their injuries\u2014medical bills, surgery costs, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what is bodily injury liability coverage? It helps prevent you from having to pay those costs out of pocket. It ensures that your insurance company will pay for those medical costs up to your policy limit rather than them having to come out of your pocket, a potentially disastrous prospect considering just how expensive healthcare costs can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Auto Insurance Basics: Liability Coverage | Why Do You Need Insurance?\" width=\"610\" height=\"343\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9AM0yDDFhgg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How does bodily injury liability coverage work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are generally two types of bodily injury liability limits, and they\u2019re distinct in how their limits are structured. The first type, a combined single limit, is fairly simple. The policy provides a set amount of total coverage for bodily injury and property damage for each accident. How exactly how that coverage will be split between property damage costs and bodily injury costs is up to the claims adjuster to decide at claim time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second, and more common, type of bodily injury liability limits is a split limit. Rather than just one total coverage figure, a split limit policy features two specific numbers. They will commonly be written similar to &#8220;25\/50&#8221; or &#8220;25000\/50000.&#8221; The first number in the limit refers to the policy\u2019s limit per person. This is the maximum amount your insurance company will cover when it comes to the injuries of each individual person involved in the incident. The second number refers to the total limit per accident. This is the total amount your insurance company will pay to cover the injuries of all of the eligible people in the incident.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To demonstrate how this works, let\u2019s look at an example: Let\u2019s say you cause an accident that causes injuries to two other drivers.&nbsp;Your split limit policy has an individual per person limit of $25,000 and a per accident limit of $50,000.&nbsp;&nbsp;One person requires $15,000 in medical care and the other requires $30,000 in medical care. Despite the fact that the total costs are under your $50,000 total per accident limit, because one person\u2019s injuries exceed the per person limit of $25,000, you\u2019ll be required to pay the extra $5,000 out of pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What can a third-party claim as bodily injury?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to what falls under the category of bodily injury liability coverage, the parameters may be broader than you think. <a href=\"https:\/\/freedomgeneral.com\/blog\/what-is-personal-injury-protection-coverage\/\">Bodily injury<\/a> can obviously apply to medical expenses in order to treat or recover from injuries, but there\u2019s a bit more to it than that. Here\u2019s what bodily injury liability coverage can cover, and conversely, what you\u2019ll have to pay for if you don\u2019t have sufficient coverage. It&#8217;s important to note that the different coverage categories shown below are\u00a0<em>all paid for out of the same bodily injury liability limits<\/em>\u00a0&#8211; it&#8217;s not a new limit for each category. So in the 25\/50 example that we looked at above, it&#8217;s 25\/50 for the whole accident, not 25\/50 for medical costs, 25\/50 for pain and suffering, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Medical Costs<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>From hospital bills and emergency room costs to ongoing follow-ups and physical therapy, medical-related costs resulting from the incident where you were at fault will be covered by your bodily injury liability coverage up to your limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Pain and Suffering<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Other parties in the incident may try to obtain payment for the physical, mental, or emotional distress they experienced (or continue to experience) as a result of the incident. Your coverage will protect you from these costs up to your limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Loss of Income<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If injuries to third parties in the incident result in them being unable to work, their lost income can be covered by your bodily injury liability coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Funeral Costs<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If the incident in which you\u2019re at fault results in a death, bodily injury liability coverage can help cover funeral costs and other costs associated with this death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that bodily injury liability coverage is for&nbsp;<em>other people<\/em>&nbsp;involved in the incident, not you. It applies to other drivers and bystanders who are injured in an accident where you\u2019re at fault. Depending on your state&#8217;s laws, it may or may not apply to passengers in your vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are the minimum bodily injury liability requirements per state?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All states require you to carry a minimum amount of bodily injury (and property damage) liability insurance. Here are the current limits (per person\/per accident) for each state:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> Alabama\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> Alaska\u2014$50,000 \/ $100,000<br> Arizona\u2014 $15,000 \/ $30,000<br> Arkansas\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> California\u2014$15,000 \/ $30,000<br> Colorado\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Connecticut\u2014$20,000 \/ $40,000<br> Delaware\u2014$15,000 \/ $30,000<br> Florida\u2014$10,000 \/ $20,000 &#8211; can be waived<br> Georgia\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Hawaii\u2014$20,000 \/ $40,000<br> Idaho\u2014$20,000 \/ $50,000<br> Illinois\u2014$20,000 \/ $40,000<br> Indiana\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Iowa\u2014$20,000 \/ $40,000<br> Kansas\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Kentucky\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Louisiana\u2014$15,000 \/ $30,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> Maine\u2014$50,000 \/ $100,000<br> Maryland\u2014$30,000 \/ $60,000<br> Massachusetts\u2014$20,000 \/ $40,000<br> Michigan\u2014$20,000 \/ $40,000<br> Minnesota\u2014$30,000 \/ $60,000<br> Mississippi\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Missouri\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Montana\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Nebraska\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Nevada\u2014$15,000 \/ $30,000<br> New Hampshire\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> New Jersey\u2014$15,000 \/ $30,000<br> New Mexico\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> New York\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> North Carolina\u2014$30,000 \/ $60,000<br> North Dakota\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Ohio\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Oklahoma\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Oregon\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Pennsylvania\u2014$15,000 \/ $30,000<br> Rhode Island\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> South Carolina\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> South Dakota\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Tennessee\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Texas\u2014$30,000 \/ $60,000<br> Utah\u2014$25,000 \/ $65,000<br> Vermont\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Virginia\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Washington\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> West Virginia\u2014$20,000 \/ $40,000<br> Wisconsin\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<br> Wyoming\u2014$25,000 \/ $50,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to note that just because your <a href=\"https:\/\/freedomgeneral.com\/blog\/what-is-a-car-insurance-surcharge\/\">state has a specific minimum <\/a>doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t or shouldn&#8217;t request more coverage. It all depends on your individual situation and what you\u2019re looking for in your coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How much bodily injury liability coverage should you have?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On average, bodily injury claims tend to range around the $15,000 range. However, in incidents where you cause injury or death to multiple people, those costs can skyrocket much higher. Remember that you will be personally liable for any amount of bodily injury costs that exceed your policy limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As is the case with most insurance coverage, the best advice is to purchase the most coverage that you can reasonably afford. Your insurance policy premium shouldn\u2019t put you in financial distress, but you also don\u2019t want to be left liable for paying major medical bills and other costs because you purchased a policy that doesn\u2019t offer ample coverage. Make sure you\u2019re at least covered at or above your state minimum, and then decide for yourself how much additional coverage you can afford. The last thing you want is for injured parties to take legal action against you in order to secure debts for which you\u2019re legally liable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How much will bodily injury liability insurance cost you?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What is bodily injury liability coverage\u2019s effect on your premium? The average premium for bodily injury liability coverage can vary based on a wide range of factors. These include not only your location and the surrounding area, but also factors like your vehicle, your driving history, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, the bodily injury liability insurance portion of your policy will often cost between $100 and $150 a month on your premium. Again, this is a very rough estimate, and the price will vary greatly based on a number of factors\u2014including how much coverage you select.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choosing the right bodily injury coverage doesn\u2019t need to be confusing or stressful. In the end, it\u2019s designed to keep you from having to cover other people\u2019s medical costs out-of-pocket. Do your research, make sure you know your state minimum limits, and decide for yourself exactly how much coverage you need to keep yourself financially protected in the event of an accident where you\u2019re at fault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to see how affordable auto insurance can be? <a href=\"http:\/\/pos.freedomgeneral.com\">Click here<\/a> to use our online quote form to see your savings today.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\"><a style=\"background-color: #c81f3f; color: #ffffff; font-size: 18px; padding: 10px 40px;\" href=\"http:\/\/pos.freedomgeneral.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Get a Free Quote<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With all of the car insurance terms that get thrown around in the world of car insurance, it can be hard to understand what differentiates one type of coverage from another. You might have heard the phrase \u201cbodily injury liability coverage,\u201d but what&nbsp;is&nbsp;bodily injury liability coverage? This article is designed to demystify this often-misunderstood type of coverage, and to help you find&nbsp;cheap car insurance&nbsp;that includes bodily injury liability coverage. We\u2019ll cover what it is, how it works, what it covers, how much coverage you need\/want, and how much it will cost you. In the end, the question of \u2018what is <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":968,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v14.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is Bodily Injury Liability Coverage?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bodily injury liability coverage is an important part of every car insurance policy. 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