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Overview
Bodily Injury Liability car insurance coverage protects other people you have hurt, if you are found liable in a car accident. Bodily Injury in some states may protect your passengers up to state minimums. Bodily Injury will not pay for any medical costs, pain and suffering or time off work for your injuries.
Types
Most policies are written with a per-person limit and a per-accident limit. You can also purchase a Combined Single Limit policy that covers a flat rate for all bodily injuries. A per-person limit restricts how much one individual can be paid for her injuries. Once that limit is reached, no more will be paid to that person. A per-accident limit will only pay up to that amount for all bodily injuries, no matter how many people you have hurt. A Combined Single Limit policy will pay no more than a set amount for all bodily injuries with no per-person limits. These payments can cover one person's injuries or 20, up to the policy limits.
Considerations
Combined Single Limit policies offer flexibility. If you hit a car on the driver's side, the driver might be hurt far worse than the passenger on the other side. A Combined Single Limit policy will not restrict how much the driver is covered, as long as the total claims are no more than the coverage amount. This isn't as restrictive as a per-person, per-accident policy. The Combined Single Limit policies tend to cost more and are not available from every insurer.
Misconceptions
State minimums for Bodily Injury Liability coverage are usually pretty low. They provide enough coverage to legally drive but may not be enough to protect you if you are found at fault for an accident. Most policies will cover the minimum liability laws if you drive to another state with higher limits. Check your policy to be sure.
Warning
Bodily Injury Liability will not protect your injuries, even if the driver of the other vehicle is found at fault and has no insurance or not enough. It may, in some states, cover your passengers up to the state minimums.
Solution
To protect yourself and your passengers, you need uninsured or underinsured coverage. This will pay for you and your passengers' injuries if you are not liable for the accident and the other driver has no Bodily Injury Liability Insurance, or not enough coverage. Talk to your insurance agent to find out how much it would cost to add this coverage to your auto policy.
