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- Bodily Injury Liability Coverage
Bodily Injury Liability Coverage
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What is Bodily Injury Liability?
Standard coverage for when you're at fault
What does Bodily Injury Liability cover?
Medical expenses
For injuries to others, this can include payment for things like
- Emergency care services
- Hospital fees
- Ongoing care costs, and more
Legal fees and legal counsel
Bodily Injury Liability can help pay the cost of your legal defense and any associated court fees if the other party sues you.
Loss of income
For an at fault accident, Bodily Injury Coverage can help pay expenses for others injured in the accident if they have to miss work or can't work due to their injuries.
Pain and suffering
In some cases, claims may involve payment when there is emotional stress or prolonged pain from an accident.
Funeral costs
In the unfortunate event that an accident results in a fatality, Bodily Injury Liability coverage will help pay for any related funeral costs.
How much Bodily Injury Liability do I need?
Depending on where you live, your state may have a minimum Bodily Injury Liability requirement to register your vehicle.
It's important to note, that even though your state may set a limit, it may not be enough. When shopping for insurance, it's a great time to make sure you're protected. For help figuring out how much you may need, you can use our coverage calculator.
What are Bodily Injury Liability limits?
In general, BI limits are broken into 2 parts. This is often shown as a "number/number" (ex., 100/300). Here, the numbers are
- In the thousands
- 1st is the per person limit
- 2nd is the per accident limit
So for example 100/300, would be
- $100,000 per person
- $300,000 per accident
Per person
The most your Bodily Injury Coverage would pay per person. This is also limited by the per accident total.
Per accident
The most your Bodily Injury Coverage would pay per accident. So no matter how many people are injured, this is the most your policy would pay for injuries you cause.
Let's do another example. We'll say you have BI Limits of $100k/$300k.
- You're at fault for an accident and 1 person is injured
- Your insurance would pay up to $100k for their medical expenses
- If 4 people are injured, your insurance will pay up to $300k total for their combined medical expenses
What's the difference between Bodily Injury Liability coverage and Property Damage Liability coverage?
Bodily Injury Liability Coverage and Property Damage Liability Coverage both help protect you if you're at fault for an accident. The difference is in what types of bills they pay for.
Bodily Injury helps pay for costs related to injuries caused by the accident like
- Medical bills
- Legal costs for you if you're sued
Property Damage Liability helps pay for damages to peoples' property and related expenses like
- Vehicle repairs
- Towing fees
- Rental vehicle while the vehicle is being fixed
How much does Bodily Injury Liability insurance cost?
In states where it's required, Bodily Injury Liability is generally accounted for in the overall price of your policy. If you choose to increase your coverage limit for extra protection, this will likely increase your premium depending on the amount you pick.
What else should I know about Bodily Injury Liability Coverage?
- Most states require a minimum amount for Bodily Injury Liability Coverage
- Bodily Injury Liability have limits that are the maximum amounts your insurance company will pay in the event of an accident
- You can choose higher limits for more protection
- You'll be covered for 2 different amounts: 1 if only the 1 person is injured and another if multiple people are injured
- You can purchase umbrella insurance for an additional cost if you want even more coverage
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Insurances for other people's medical and property expenses
Property Damage Coverage
When you are found legally responsible for a car accident, this coverage pays for costs associated with repairing or replacing another person's property.