Bodily Injury Liability Insurance Coverage
Bodily injury liability insurance covers medical costs for the other driver and passengers if you're at fault in an accident. Most states have minimum bodily injury liability insurance requirements and the average cost of liability insurance is $51/mo.. Minimum bodily injury coverage requirements can be as low as $10,000 or as high as $50,000, but you should carry more than the minimum to protect yourself. Not having enough bodily injury liability coverage can leave you responsible for damages that exceed the limits of your policy
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Jeffrey Johnson
Insurance Lawyer
Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...
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UPDATED: Jan 9, 2025
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about car insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything car insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by car insurance experts.
UPDATED: Jan 9, 2025
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- Bodily injury liability insurance is required for drivers in every state except New Hampshire.
- This type of insurance kicks in when an accident is your fault.
- The minimum amount of coverage required varies by state.
There are so many different types of car insurance coverage that it’s even tough to get a handle on the basics. The following article examines bodily injury liability. Keep reading to learn what bodily injury liability insurance is, why it’s necessary and how much you need.
As you learn about bodily injury liability, you’ll also learn the basics of what to look for in a good policy. Learning the ins and outs of car insurance will help you to better pick between bodily injury liability car insurance companies and choose what type of coverage you need.
You can compare affordable bodily injury liability car insurance quotes today. It’s as easy as entering your ZIP code into our free quote tool. Get started now.
What is bodily injury liability insurance?
Bodily injury liability car insurance is a type of insurance coverage that covers medical expenses. This kind of insurance coverage activates if you’re the party that caused an accident.
For example, let’s say you hit another vehicle with three people inside and your bodily injury liability insurance coverage is $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident. Any medical expenses incurred over those limits are your responsibility to pay out of your own pocket.
Your coverage pays for up to $250,000 in medical expenses per person. If Person A’s expenses cost 175,000, Person B’s cost $50,000 and Person C’s cost $300,000 you would have to personally pay $50,000 to cover the remainder of Person C’s medical expenses.
However, that number cannot exceed a total of $500,000 for the entire accident. The total costs of the above accident are $525,000, so you are also on the hook for the $25,000 that’s over your limit.
After an accident, how to act and what to avoid are both important things to know.
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Do I need bodily injury liability coverage?
Unless you live in New Hampshire, you must carry bodily injury insurance. New Hampshire doesn’t require its residents to carry bodily injury coverage though it’s highly recommended that all drivers have it.
Drivers in all other states have to have liability insurance. Each state has its own minimum requirement, though purchasing more than the minimum is wise.
How much does bodily injury liability insurance cost?
Bodily injury liability insurance rates vary by state. Each state has a minimum amount of liability insurance that they require drivers to carry.
The average cost of liability insurance in the U.S is $611.12 a year, or $51/mo.
See the table below for detailed information on what kind of insurance you’re required to carry and how much.
Minimum Liability Coverage Requirements by State
| State | Bodily Injury Liability | Property Damage Liability | PIP/No-Fault Coverage | Other Insurance Types |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident | $25,000 | - | - |
| Arizona | $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident | $10,000 | Uninsured motorist: $15,000/$30,000 (BI), $10,000 (PD) | - |
| Arkansas | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $25,000 | - | - |
| California | $15,000 (one person), $30,000 (total per accident) | $5,000 | - | - |
| Colorado | $25,000 (one person), $50,000 (more people) | $15,000 | - | - |
| Connecticut | $25,000 (one person), $50,000 (total per accident) | $25,000 | - | - |
| Delaware | $25,000 (one person), $50,000 (total per accident) | $10,000 | Personal injury protection (PIP): $15,000 per person, $30,000 per occurrence, $5,000 funeral | |
| Florida | $10,000 Personal Injury Protection (PIP) | $10,000 Property Damage Liability (PDL) | - | - |
| Georgia | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $25,000 per accident | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | - |
| Hawaii | $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident | $10,000 minimum | - | $10,000 minimum |
| Idaho | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $25,000 | - |
| Indiana | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $25,000 minimum | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $50,000 minimum |
| Iowa | $20,000 per person | $40,000 | - | - |
| Kansas | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | - |
| Florida | Personal injury protection (PIP) | $10,000 Property Damage Liability (PDL) | - | - |
| Georgia | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $25,000 per accident | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | - |
| Hawaii | $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident | $10,000 minimum | - | $10,000 minimum |
| Idaho | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $25,000 | - |
| Indiana | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $25,000 minimum | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $50,000 minimum |
| Iowa | $20,000 per person | $40,000 | - | - |
| Kansas | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | - |
| Kentucky | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $25,000 | $10,000 |
| Louisiana | $15,000 per person | $30,000 | $25,000 | $10,000 |
| Maine | $50,000 per person | $100,000 | N/A | N/A |
| Maryland | $30,000 per person | $60,000 | - | $15,000 |
| Massachusetts | $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident | $5,000 per accident | $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident | $8,000 |
| Michigan | $50,000 (for drivers enrolled in Medicaid), $250,000 all others | $1,000,000 | $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident | $50,000 (Medicaid) / $250,000 (all others) |
| Minnesota | $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident | $10,000 | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per incident | $40,000 per person per accident |
| Mississippi | $20,000 per person | $40,000 | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | - |
| Missouri | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $10,000 | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | - |
| Montana | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $25,000 | - |
| Nebraska | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $25,000 | - |
| Nevada | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | - |
| New Hampshire | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | Same amount as liability | $1,000 |
| New Jersey | None required, but optional | $5,000 | $15,000 per person, up to $250,000 (brain/spinal cord) | $15,000 per person, $250,000 for brain and spinal cord injuries |
| New Mexico | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $25,000 | $10,000 |
| New York | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $10,000 per accident | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $50,000 |
| North Carolina | $30,000 per person | $60,000 | - | - |
| North Dakota | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $25,000 | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | - |
| Ohio | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per incident | $25,000 | - | - |
| Oklahoma | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $25,000 | - |
| Oregon | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $20,000 | $15,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Rhode Island | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $25,000 | $25,000 | - |
| South Carolina | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $25,000 | - |
| South Dakota | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $25,000 | N/A | N/A |
| Tennessee | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $15,000 | - | - |
| Texas | $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident | $25,000 | - | - |
| Utah | $26,000 per person | $65,000 | $15,000 | $3,000 |
| Vermont | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $10,000 | - |
| Virginia | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $20,000 | - |
| Washington | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $10,000 per accident | - | - |
| West Virginia | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident | $20,000 | - | - |
| Wisconsin | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 |
| Wyoming | $25,000 per person | $50,000 | $20,000 | - |
In addition to bodily injury liability car insurance, many states require property damage liability insurance and uninsured motorist coverage.
How much bodily injury liability insurance should I buy?
Injury and death from car crashes can be incredibly costly according to the CDC. Not having enough bodily injury liability insurance can bankrupt a person.
Consider how much you could possibly pay out of pocket if you’re sued or have to pay for someone’s medical expenses. The safest bet is to purchase as much as you can afford to ensure you keep your assets if expenses are high after a crash.
Bodily injury liability car insurance exists to make sure that drivers’ financial futures aren’t jeopardized if they cause a crash.
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Bodily Injury Liability Insurance: The Bottom Line
Now that you understand bodily injury liability car insurance and why drivers should have it, learn more elements and terms to help you understand your policy. Understanding all the insurance terms can go a long way when it comes to how to buy bodily injury liability car insurance.
Find out what kind of bodily injury insurance rates are available to you by using our free quote tool. Enter your ZIP code and get started now.
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Jeffrey Johnson
Insurance Lawyer
Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...
Insurance Lawyer
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about car insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything car insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by car insurance experts.