Key takeaways
- Bodily injury liability is a type of insurance that helps cover injuries you're responsible for after an at-fault crash.
- Your policy helps cover the injuries of other drivers, their passengers and injured pedestrians — but not you.
- Bodily injury liability may cover medical expenses, funeral costs, lost wages and damages related to pain and suffering.
- Florida, New Jersey and Alaska are the only states that don’t require bodily injury liability, or have exceptions about who must carry it.
What is bodily injury liability insurance?
Your bodily injury liability insurance would help pay for medical costs and other expenses you’re responsible for after a crash.
But your policy won’t help you pay for your own medical expenses, or anyone’s in your household. Instead, your policy helps cover the expenses of other drivers, their passengers and pedestrians. You would rely on your own health insurance coverage to pay for your medical expenses.
Most states require some bodily injury liability insurance. States usually require a relatively small amount of bodily injury liability insurance, at least compared to the cost of damage that a serious accident could cause. For this reason, NerdWallet recommends that most people get more coverage to avoid having to pay for the damage on their own.
While we suggest comparing car insurance rates to avoid paying too much for bodily injury liability insurance, it may not cost as much as you think it will to increase your liability coverage. You can often add tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of coverage for a fraction of that amount.
See what you could save on car insurance
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🤓 Nerdy Tip
Looking for insurance to cover your own expenses after a crash? Read our guide on types of car insurance coverage to find out what you need. What does bodily injury liability insurance cover?
After a crash, your 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.
- Lost income, if they can’t work as a result of the accident.
- Funeral costs, if injuries from the accident are fatal.
- Pain and suffering, if the injured driver or passengers have long-lasting emotional trauma or pain.
Bodily injury liability insurance can also cover legal fees, which quickly add up. You could face a lawsuit if you cause a crash that injures another person or damages their property. If you do, your bodily injury liability insurance will help defend or settle the lawsuit. It can also help pay for a bond.
Know your bodily injury insurance coverage limits
The liability limits on your insurance policy usually show three numbers, like this: 100/300/100. These numbers are the amounts that your policy will cover.
The first number is the per-person limit. In our example, $100,000 is the max your policy will pay for any one person who’s injured in a crash.
The second number is the per-accident limit. That $300,000 is the highest amount of injury expenses your policy would cover in a crash, whether it includes three people or a dozen.
The third number is your policy's property damage coverage. It's what your insurer will pay to repair another person’s vehicle or property per at-fault crash. While it's helpful to understand property damage liability insurance, it isn’t specifically connected to bodily injury insurance, so we can skip that topic for now.
Bodily injury liability insurance in action
You buy a policy with bodily injury insurance limits of 100/300. You're at fault for a crash that injures three people, causing these expenses:
- Michael: $30,000
- Anne: $40,000
- Chris: $110,000
- Total expenses: $180,000
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.
Which states require bodily injury liability coverage?
Nearly every state requires drivers to carry bodily injury liability insurance. Florida is an exception; drivers in Florida need property damage liability but not bodily injury liability. This is fairly unusual and important to know when shopping for insurance in Florida.
New Jersey and Alaska are the other two states that don’t always require bodily injury liability insurance. New Jersey offers a Basic Policy option for auto insurance — a lower-cost plan that requires less coverage than the state’s Standard Policy. This cheaper policy doesn’t come with bodily injury liability insurance.
Alaska doesn’t require bodily injury coverage for drivers living in rural areas that don’t need to register their cars. Otherwise, it is required for drivers in Alaska.
Find out how much bodily injury liability insurance your state requires by using the drop-down box below.
State minimum bodily injury liability insurance requirements
| State | Requirements |
|---|---|
| $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 |
🤓 Nerdy Tip
The amount of required coverage affects 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
Easily compare personalized rates to see how much switching car insurance could save you.
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. But you may want to buy more liability insurance to better protect any financial assets that could be seized in a lawsuit. If your insurance won’t cover someone’s bills and you can’t pay for them out of pocket, they could sue you for those funds.
In general, you should have enough coverage to cover your net worth (what you own minus what you owe).
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 for extra coverage. Umbrella insurance can help cover you if you’ve maxed out your liability insurance limits but don’t want to take on any financial risk for your assets.
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- 1. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Florida Insurance Requirements. Accessed Jun 17, 2026.
- 2. Department of Banking and Insurance. Get Legal with New Jersey's Basic Auto Insurance Policy. Accessed Jun 17, 2026.
- 3. State of Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles. Mandatory Insurance. Accessed Jun 17, 2026.
