By providing protection between your assets, and the amount that you are responsible for, liability auto insurance can protect you from the worst. The most important aspect of your car insurance quote comparison is choosing the right auto liability limits. NerdWallet recommends that you have at least the same amount of liability coverage as your […]
By providing protection between your assets, and the amount that you are responsible for, liability auto insurance can protect you from the worst. The most important aspect of your car insurance quote comparison is choosing the right auto liability limits. NerdWallet recommends that you have at least the same amount of liability coverage as your net worth.
Types and limits of liability coverage
However, liability coverage levels are available in threes. You’ll likely see 50/100/50 to 250/500/250 on typical policies. These limits can be described as: property damage, total injuries, individual injuries. The terminology used by insurance companies is more technical. They call them bodily injuries liability, total bodily harm liability, and physical damage liability.
They are available in increments of 1,000 dollars, so if you choose 100/300/100 limits you are choosing:
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$100,000 for bodily injury per person injures in a car accident. -
$300,000. Total for all bodily injury you sustain in a collision. -
$100,000 to cover damage to property caused by a collision, such as cars and buildings, and objects like mailboxes or lampposts.
Comparison tip for auto insurance: If you are looking to get liability car insurance, make sure that the highest, middle, and lowest number is equal or greater to the total value of your home and savings.
Learn about car insurance requirements for your state
In certain states, you may be required to have a car insurance policy that includes personal injury protection (PIP), medical payments coverage (medpay) or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages — or two of the three. You don’t need to have PIP if you have medpay.
Every car insurance comparison tool that you use should include your state’s minimum requirements for car insurance. States that require PIP or medpay generally are referred to as “no fault” states. This means that each injured driver can file a claim with their insurance company for the reimbursement of their injuries. The liability insurance of the at-fault driver covers the remainder, beyond the PIP and medpay limits.