Bodily Injury Liability: What It Pays After Your FTA
Bodily injury liability covers medical bills, lost wages, and legal costs for people you injure in an at-fault accident.
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What Is Bodily Injury Liability Insurance?
Bodily injury liability pays medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost income, pain and suffering damages, and legal defense fees when you injure someone in an at-fault accident. Coverage is expressed as split limits: the first number caps what the insurer pays per injured person, the second caps total payout per accident. If you cause an accident with injuries exceeding your limits, you pay the difference out of pocket—creditors can pursue your wages, bank accounts, and property.
Who Needs Bodily Injury Liability Insurance?
You need bodily injury liability if you're reinstating after an FTA hold and the underlying citation was uninsured-driving, reckless driving, or another violation requiring SR-22—your state won't lift the suspension without proof of coverage. You also need it if you own assets a lawsuit could reach: a home with equity, a retirement account, or wages above garnishment-exempt thresholds. State minimums are legally sufficient but financially inadequate if you cause serious injuries.
Calculate your asset exposure: add home equity, savings, retirement accounts, and annual income. If you're reinstating after FTA and SR-22 is required, you have no choice—you must carry at least state minimums to restore driving privileges. If your underlying citation didn't require SR-22 and you have minimal assets, state minimums satisfy legal requirements but won't protect you in a severe accident.
How Much Does Bodily Injury Liability Insurance Cost?
- State-mandated minimums: California requires 15/30, Alabama requires 25/50, and Alaska requires 50/100, directly affecting base cost.
