Bodily Injury Liability Coverage: What It Is and How It Works

Bodily injury coverage pays out if you injure someone else in an at-fault accident. It can also protect your assets if you’re sued.

Drew Gula
Lead Writer | Auto insurance

Drew Gula is a NerdWallet authority on auto insurance. He previously worked as the senior content editor at Soundstripe and as the senior writer in Liberty University's marketing department. Drew is also a published author. He is based in Nashville, Tenn.

Brenda J. Cude
Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia

Brenda J. Cude is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics at the University of Georgia. Dr. Cude has served in various consumer-focused roles for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners since 1994. She has also been a member of the Advisory Council for the Center for Insurance Policy and Research; a Board Member of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud; a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance; and a Board Member for the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association. Dr. Cude’s primary research interest is consumer decision-making, with an emphasis in personal financial literacy.

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Ben Moore
Assistant Assigning Editor | Auto insurance

Ben Moore is an assistant assigning editor and spokesperson who joined NerdWallet as a writer in 2020. An auto insurance authority, his past work has been featured in The Associated Press, The Chicago Sun-Times, MarketWatch, Nasdaq and Yahoo News. Ben has been quoted in Martha Stewart and Real Simple magazine, and he has appeared on local broadcast television. He is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

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If you injure someone in a car accident, bodily injury liability coverage helps to pay for any medical costs that you are responsible for as the at-fault driver. It can also cover their lost wages if they can’t work after the crash.

Although this coverage won't pay for your own medical expenses, it applies to most other people involved in the accident, including:

Bodily injury coverage is necessary for many reasons, and it’s legally required in most states. It can also cover legal expenses from a lawsuit if you injure someone in a crash, provided your policy includes enough liability car insurance coverage.

Keep in mind this coverage won't pay for any repairs or property damage, whether it’s for your vehicle or the other driver's. In fact, bodily injury coverage won’t pay any of your immediate expenses. This means you’re on the hook to pay for any car repairs along with your own medical expenses and any lost income unless your auto insurance policy includes other coverage.

See what you could save on car insurance

Looking for coverage to cover your own expenses after a crash? Read our guide on types of car insurance coverage to find out what you need.

Bodily injury liability covers a variety of expenses

Bodily injury liability insurance can pay for another person's:

Medical expenses , such as emergency care, hospital fees, follow-up visits and medical equipment like crutches.

Bodily injury liability insurance can also cover legal fees

If you cause an accident, you’ll be held financially responsible for any property damage and injuries you cause to others. You could also be faced with a lawsuit.

If someone affected by an accident you cause sues you — and if your policy includes high enough liability car insurance limit to cover it — then your bodily injury coverage may cover the cost of a defense attorney and any court fees you incur.

Know your bodily injury insurance coverage limits

The liability limits on your insurance policy will typically show three numbers, such as “100/300/100.” These numbers represent your per-person bodily injury liability coverage, per-accident bodily injury liability coverage and per-accident property damage liability coverage.

This third number is the amount your insurer will pay to repair another person’s vehicle or other property per at-fault accident. It’s helpful to understand property damage liability insurance , but it is not specifically connected to bodily injury insurance, so we can skip covering that for now.

For example, let’s say you buy a policy with bodily injury insurance limits of 100/300. You then cause an accident that results in the following expenses for injuries for the three people in the other car:

Total expenses: $180,000*

*Based on average cost of motor-vehicle injuries according to the National Safety Council [0]

This is how you can interpret your insurance coverage and how much you’ll have to pay out of pocket:

The first number, 100, is your bodily injury limit per person . Your policy won’t pay more than this for any individual person’s injuries.

In this example, both Michael and Anne have medical expenses under $100,000, so they’ll be covered. Chris’ expenses are $110,000, so you’ll have to pay the $10,000 that exceeds your policy’s limit.

The second number, 300, is your bodily injury limit per accident , or the combined amount for all injuries in a single accident.

The total medical expenses in this example are $180,000. Your policy limit covers up to $300,000 per accident, so your insurance will cover everything — except the $10,000 for Chris’ expenses above your per-person limit.

How much do you owe? For this accident, you'll need to pay $10,000 out of pocket in total to cover the remainder of Chris’ medical expenses over your $100,000 per-person limit. Since this is a liability insurance claim, you won’t need to pay a deductible .

If you receive medical attention for injuries related to a car accident, you should give the provider your health insurance information as well as the at-fault driver’s car insurance information. This helps insurers keep track of — and cover — medical expenses associated with a car insurance claim.

Which states require bodily injury liability coverage?

You most likely need bodily injury liability coverage to legally drive anywhere in the U.S. except for New Jersey [0]

However, you need to meet certain requirements to be exempt from coverage in certain states. For instance, in Alaska you can opt out of car insurance only if you live in a remote area.

Although New Jersey and Florida don’t require bodily injury insurance coverage, you must buy other insurance — property damage liability and personal injury protection — to legally drive in both states. Property damage liability covers damage you cause to another vehicle or property in an at-fault accident, while personal injury protection covers medical expenses if you’re in an accident, regardless of fault.

Find out how much bodily injury liability insurance your state requires by using the drop-down box below.

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

(Car insurance is optional for certain remote residents) $50,000 bodily injury liability per person $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

$15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $5,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $15,000 personal injury protection per person $30,000 personal injury protection per accident

$10,000 property damage liability per accident $10,000 personal injury protection

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

$20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $10,000 personal injury protection

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

$20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident Personal injury protection including $4,500 in medical expenses, up to $900 per month for a year for disability or loss of income, $25 per day for in-home services, $2,000 for funeral burial or cremation costs, and $4,500 for rehabilitation Survivors benefits including up to $900 per month for a year for disability or loss of income and $25 per day for in-home services

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident Or a policy with a single limit of $60,000

$15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

$50,000 bodily injury liability per person $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $100,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $2,000 medical payments coverage Or a combined single liability limit of $125,000

$30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident $30,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $60,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $15,000 uninsured/underinsured property damage coverage per accident

$20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $5,000 property damage liability per accident $20,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $40,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $8,000 personal injury protection

$50,000 bodily injury liability per person $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident outside Michigan $1 million property protection within Michigan $250,000* personal injury protection

*Lower PIP limits available for certain Medicare and Medicaid recipients.

$30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $40,000 personal injury protection

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage $1,000 medical payments coverage

$5,000 property damage liability per accident $15,000 personal injury protection

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $50,000 liability for death per person $100,000 liability for death per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per accident $50,000 personal injury protection

$30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $30,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $60,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $30,000 personal injury protection

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $15,000 personal injury protection

$15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $5,000 property damage liability per accident $5,000 medical benefits

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

$30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $65,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident $3,000 personal injury protection

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $100,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $10,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage per accident

(Minimum limits if a driver purchases car insurance, which is optional. Drivers who don’t purchase insurance pay a $500 fee.) $30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident $30,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $60,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $20,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $5,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident

The amount of required coverage does affect how much your insurance costs. If you’re trying to figure out these expenses, you can look into how much liability-only insurance costs compared to other car insurance options.

See what you could save on car insurance

How much bodily injury liability insurance do I need?

At a minimum, you’ll want to get the amount required to drive legally in your state. Some experts recommend having bodily injury limits of at least $100,000/$300,000. However, you may want to buy insurance with higher limits to protect any financial assets that could be seized in a lawsuit. In general, it’s recommended to have enough coverage to cover your net worth (what you own minus what you owe).

If you don’t have enough liability coverage to pay for an at-fault accident, you’ll still be responsible for paying for the other person’s injuries. This could result in the other driver suing you, potentially putting your savings, house and other assets at risk.

Many auto insurers won’t sell bodily injury liability coverage over $500,000. If your insurer doesn’t sell a policy with limits that are high enough to cover your net worth, consider buying umbrella insurance . Umbrella coverage can help cover you if you’ve maxed out your liability insurance limits.

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Drew Gula is a NerdWallet authority on auto insurance. He previously worked as the senior content editor at Soundstripe and as the senior writer in Liberty University's marketing department. Drew is also a published author. He is based in Nashville, Tenn. See full bio.

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