Liability car insurance is the part of an auto policy that covers harm you cause to other people in an accident you are responsible for. It is the foundation of auto insurance and is required in most states.
Liability coverage has two parts:
- Bodily injury liability — pays for the medical costs, lost wages, and related expenses of people injured in an accident you caused.
- Property damage liability — pays to repair or replace the property you damaged, such as another person's vehicle, a fence, or a building.
What liability does NOT cover: it does not pay for your own injuries or damage to your own vehicle. Those are covered by other parts of a policy — see comprehensive and collision coverage.
Understanding liability limits: liability coverage is written as limits, often shown as three numbers — for example, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage per accident. If a claim exceeds your limits, you can be personally responsible for the rest, which is why many drivers carry more than the state minimum.
Each state sets its own minimum requirements — see state auto insurance requirements. To review coverage, get an auto insurance quote from RMO.