The Facts Behind Auto Liability Insurance
Auto insurance liability is the heart of any car insurance policy. It is important to understand the details involved so the right amount of coverage is obtained. The purpose of this article is to provide definition for some basic terms anyone looking for car insurance in Illinois should know.
Liability Insurance Coverage is a basic form of coverage that includes payment for bodily injury or property damage caused by the policy holder, in the event of a vehicular accident. Both medical costs and repair costs are covered under a policy with liability insurance coverage.
Bodily Injury (BI) Coverage is also strongly recommended. Liability insurance will cover someone else's injuries caused by a car accident when the policy holder is at fault. The limits of this coverage are usually summarized in a form such as 40/70/30. There are different categories that are covered, such as the cost of injuries to one person, or the total amount of payment the insurance company will make in the event of an accident. In the above example, $40,000 will be paid out to cover an injury for a single person, up to $70,000. The 30 will apply to property damage, which is detailed below. Not all insurance policies split costs in this way, however. Some elect to just have a single combined limit.
Property Damage Insurance is necessary when the policy holder causes damage to another person's property in the event of a car accident. This property could be the other person's vehicle, or it could be a stationary object, like a home or a mailbox. In a split-limit policy like the one detailed above, the ‘30' would be the amount of property damage insurance in thousands of dollars.
Minimum liability insurance are coverage levels that are legally required in some states. Such a level of coverage is typically low and it is highly recommended for any policy holder to pick higher levels of coverage than what is minimally required by law. No one can see the future, or know just how much damage will be caused should an accident occur, so it's a good idea to remain adequately covered. In the case an accident does occur, it's best to avoid the financial difficulties that might arise. It may be tempting to lower liability insurance in order to save some money, but in the end the lack of coverage may cost far more money than it could have ever saved.
Lowering the liability coverage will lower the costs of the premium, of course, but instead of lowering it as low as it will go, find a middle ground. Consider how much is possible to pay out of pocket in the case of an accident and work from there.