Protect Your Wallet with Liability Insurance

Liability is a type of car insurance that is legally required in most states. If you are found to be at fault in a car crash, liability coverage helps pay for the other person’s accident-related expenses.

Liability auto insurance consists of the following two types of coverage:

1. Bodily injury liability: Pays for the medical expenses of the other person in the event you caused the accident. Having this coverage protects you from paying these costs out of your own pocket.
2. Property damage liability: Pays to replace or fix the damage of the other person’s vehicle or property if you caused the accident. This coverage helps you avoid paying for repair and replacement costs out of your own pocket.

How Much Liability Insurance Do I Need?

The minimum amount of liability coverage required by law varies by state. Depending on where you live, your financial situation, and your level of risk tolerance, the state minimum liability amount may not be enough.

For example, in California the state minimum amount of liability coverage is 15/30/5, or $15,000 in bodily injury per person, $30,000 per accident (if more than one person is injured), and $5,000 in property damage. If a California driver with liability-only were to cause an accident, leaving another person with $40,000 in injuries, this driver could end up paying $25,000 out of pocket since their coverage would only provide $15,000.

Car accidents with injuries can cost tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even more. For this reason, purchasing more than your state’s minimum coverage limit can be a good idea. The higher the liability limit, the more the policy will pay on your behalf in the event you cause an accident that injures another person or damages their property. Aim for limits around 100/300/50 or more if you can.

Keep in mind that liability insurance will not pay for your own injuries and property damage if you cause an accident. Consider medical payments coverage to cover your medical expenses and collision and comprehensive coverage to pay for your vehicle. Depending on where you live, your state may require you to purchase personal injury protection coverage instead of liability.

With rates as low as $22/month* for liability car insurance, enter your zip code now to start saving today!