What The Bodily Injury Coverage Limit Means To An Injured Driver
When it comes to auto insurance, no driver wants to be in the position of having to report an injury, either to themselves or to another party. While auto insurance online has come down in price in recent years and offers far more options and coverage choices than ever before, claiming an injury via an insurance policy can be a daunting task, even with the assistance of a great insurance provider. For an injured driver, either at fault or in the position of having been hit, there are a number of important insurance concepts to understand when an insurance claim is filed. Of these, one of the most relevant is that of bodily injury coverage.
Bodily injury coverage is mandated in most states in the US and in order for an insurance provider to operate in the state they must include at least the bare minimum of bodily injury coverage in every policy they sell. This injury coverage is designed to protect everyone except the driver of a vehicle in the event of an accident - drivers are covered under personal liability coverage by auto insurance policies. Bodily injury coverage will have two parts - a number denoting how much it will pay out in total for an accident, and another denoting how much it will pay out per person that is injured. A $100,000/$25,000 bodily injury coverage, for example, will pay out $100,000 in total in an accident, but only up to a maximum of $25,000 per person.
If a driver is injured in an accident that they have caused, their own bodily injury coverage will pay out for the injuries of all other parties in the accident - their own passengers, the other driver, and the other driver's passengers - up to the maximum amount. Anything over that amount will not be paid out and the injured parties will have to go to civil court to seek a monetary remedy. If a driver is injured through the actions of another motorist, they should be paid out by the bodily injury coverage that the other motorist has. Although all parties on the road are required to carry insurance, some drivers choose not to, and it can be worthwhile to invest in under-insured or uninsured bodily injury coverage in case of an accident with party who does not have proper insurance.
An injured driver will face a number of challenges and if they are at fault for an accident, may discover higher quotes from providers of auto insurance online, but must ensure that no matter the policy they choose or the provider they use that they have at least the minimum amount of bodily injury coverage.
