Liability Insurance
Vehicle Liability insurance has two components always included together: Bodily Injury coverage and Property Damage coverage.
Vehicle Liability insurance is the basic insurance coverage for injuries or damage to other people or property if you're at fault for an accident.
If you cause an accident that injures or even kills another person, the Bodily Injury (BI) portion of your Liability insurance will pay for the related expenses. Bodily Injury will cover hospital and medical bills, rehabilitation, long-term nursing care, funeral expenses, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other expenses, up to the limits you select.
If you cause an accident that damages another person's property, the Property Damage (PD) portion of your Liability insurance will pay for the connected expenses. Property Damage will cover the cost to repair or replace damaged items, including other vehicles, lamp posts, houses or even a pet, up to the limits you select.
Liability insurance also will pay for your legal defense costs if you are sued as a result of your involvement with the accident.
Who needs Liability insurance?
Anyone who drives a vehicle needs Liability insurance. In most situations, Liability insurance is required by law.
For-hire truckers operating under their own authority must have Liability insurance to obtain a filing.
Liability insurance limits and other details
Liability insurance requires you to select limits. These limits determine the maximum amount your insurance company will pay if you need to use the insurance coverage. Limits are described either as split limits or as a combined single limit (CSL).
Split limits are three numbers that describe the following:
- Maximum Bodily Injury payment per person
- Maximum Bodily Injury payment for all people in the entire accident
- Maximum total Property Damage payment for all property in the accident
For example, if you choose split limits of $15,000/$30,000/$10,000:
- Bodily injury per person – $15,000 would be the most your insurance would pay each person injured in an accident.
- Bodily injury per accident – $30,000 would be the most your insurance would pay for all people injured in the accident.
- Property damage per accident – $10,000 would be the most your insurance would pay for all property damaged in a single accident.
With a combined single limit, only one number is used to describe the limits for both Bodily Injury insurance and Property Damage insurance. In this case, there is no specific limit per person, just a total maximum that will be paid for all injuries and property damage you cause in a single accident.
For example, if you selected a combined single limit of $1 million, your insurance company would pay up to $1 million for all medical and injury-related bills and all property damage expenses that you caused in an accident.
Liability insurance exceptions and restrictions
Your Property Damage insurance limits cannot exceed your Bodily Injury insurance per person limits if you choose a split limit. Other guidelines include:
Multiple vehicles
- If one vehicle on the policy has Liability insurance, all of the vehicles must have it.
- The selected Liability limits must be the same for all vehicles on a policy.
State minimums
- Each state sets laws regarding how much Liability insurance its residents are required to have. This is known as your state's minimum limits or minimum limit requirements. Fortunately, Progressive knows the requirements for each state and will make sure you have at least the minimum amount of Liability insurance required to meet your state's laws.
Filings
- Liability insurance is required when a filing is on a commercial auto insurance policy.
Radius restrictions
- Minimum Liability limits of $25,000/$50,000 or a $50,000 combined single limit is required if the radius of operation is 300 miles or more.
Trailers
- Extra trailers are charged a flat fee for Liability insurance.
