Whether it’s minor bumps and bruises, serious injuries, or even death, you (the at-fault driver) will carry the burden of paying the costs related to those injuries/deaths. This may include medical expenses, loss of income, and, in some cases legal fees if you are sued. This coverage should also provide a legal defense if someone does sue you for damages.

What Will It Cover?

Bodily injury coverage can help pay for medical expenses and funeral costs to somebody who is hurt in an accident you cause. It is important to note that bodily injury coverage does not pay for your own injuries.

Additionally, bodily injury coverage can help pay for:

• Long-term nursing care.
• Lost income from time off work.
• Pain and suffering.
  • This is an amount determined by a court to address the emotional or physical stress the accident or injuries caused.

There are exceptions to every rule, and this goes for your liability coverage as well. For example, if you cause damage to another person or their property intentionally, your liability insurance will not cover the damage.

Be sure to check your policy carefully so you know the specifics on what is and is not covered after an accident.

Bodily injury coverage is mandatory in most states and most states have a minimum limit, so be sure to check your state insurance information.When you purchase your car insurance, you may notice that your policy includes 2 different numbers associated with bodily injury. For example, you’ll likely see it written something like $15,000/$30,000.

This is because liability car insurance always includes 2 different bodily injury limits:

• Limit per person – The maximum amount your insurance will pay out for bodily injury to a single person in a car accident.
• Limit per accident – The total maximum amount your insurance will pay out for bodily injury if multiple people are hurt in a car accident.

A good rule of thumb for many buyers is to purchase the highest bodily injury liability coverage limit they can afford.

If your coverage isn’t sufficient to pay for all injury-related costs in an accident you caused, you are susceptible to lawsuits for the remainder of the money, putting your assets (such as your home) at risk.