What is Bodily Injury Liability?
If you are ever in a car accident and the other driver and/or passengers are injured, you will need bodily injury liability to cover the injuries. Bodily injury liability, or Bi insurance, is car insurance coverage that pays for injuries a driver causes to other people, including other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
What Does Bodily Injury Liability Cover?
Bodily injury insurance will cover a portion of the short- and long-term costs of any injuries that may result from a car accident that you cause.
Bodily injury liability covers:
- Medical expenses. Covers hospital fees, emergency care, and can even cover medical equipment.
- Loss of income. If the other driver cannot work after the accident, bodily injury insurance may compensate.
- Legal fees. If the other party sues you, bodily injury insurance may cover defense fees.
- Pain and suffering. If the other party has lingering pain or emotional distress caused by the accident, your coverage will pay.
- Funeral costs. If there are any fatalities, bodily injury coverage can also help pay for the funeral costs.
Bodily Injury Limits
Most states require a minimum amount for bodily injury coverage, but you can choose a higher limit for more protection. For instance, in Arizona, the minimum about for bodily injury coverage is $15,000, but you can increase your coverage because whatever your insurance does not cover, you will have to pay for out-of-pocket. Each state has different bodily injury limits, so check with your DMV or search online to find out what the bodily injury limits are for your state.
Bluefire knows the requirements for each state that we operate in and will make sure you have the minimum amount of bodily injury liability insurance that is required by your state.
What is Recommended Bodily Injury Coverage?
BI is mandatory for licensed drivers in most states. When purchasing your liability coverage, you’re only obligated to meet your state’s minimum limit requirements, which vary depending on the state. The stated minimum amount is actually the maximum coverage that’s legally required. Except for New Hampshire, each state has a 3-tiered system for their minimum liability coverage limits and may look something like this: 25/50/50.
The first number (25) is the amount in thousands that the at-fault driver’s insurance company will pay for injury-related expenses per person.
The second number (50) is the total amount in thousands the insurance company will pay for injury-related expenses per incident, and the third number (50) is the amount in thousands the insurance company will pay for property damage per incident.
These are just minimum amounts and may not provide the level of protection you need. It is recommended to purchase more coverage if you can afford to do so.
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