by Guest » Wed Jan 28, 2009 03:35 am
When you are involved in an accident and are at fault, you have a responsibility towards those you hurt physically. A bodily injury liability provides coverage in such a case.
What does bodily injury liability cover?
Bodily injury liability insurance provides coverage at times when you cause bodily injury to a third party as a result of an accident that is your fault. It provides medical costs for any physical injury that is suffered by passengers, both in your car and also in the other car in the accident. Not only this, it also covers the cost of legal proceedings (if any) that may be required when involved in an accident.
Bodily injury liability insurance pays for your legal obligations when you are at fault in an accident. These include
Bodily injury liability insurance pays for your legal obligations when you are at fault in an accident. These include
- Expenditure in hospital and medical bills
- Funeral cost in case of death
- Wages lost
- Pain and suffering
- Rehabilitation
- Long term care in the nursing home
- Other related damages
Why do you need bodily injury liability?
However careful a driver you may be you still have the chance of getting involved in an accident. If the accident is your fault, you may be sued for damages and the other party may also claim bodily injury. There could be legal proceedings too. All of these are taken care of by a bodily injury liability. Bodily injury liability provides coverage regardless of who is at fault.
However, not everyone may think they need bodily injury liability. But, there are certain states where a state minimum coverage is absolutely required. Again, if you are sued, the legal fees can cost you a fortune unless you have already saved a fortune that you can afford to spend. Even if an accident isn’t your fault, you may still be sued.
However, not everyone may think they need bodily injury liability. But, there are certain states where a state minimum coverage is absolutely required. Again, if you are sued, the legal fees can cost you a fortune unless you have already saved a fortune that you can afford to spend. Even if an accident isn’t your fault, you may still be sued.
How much does a bodily injury liability cost?
The cost for bodily injury liability varies from one state to the other depending on the auto insurance state laws. There are a few factors that play a big role in determining the price of such insurance. These include:
- Your age
- Your driving record
- The carrier you purchase insurance from
- The kind of car that you drive
What are limits in bodily injury?
Limits in bodily injury helps determine the amount of money the insurance company will pay you if you make a claim. This is the amount of money your insurer will pay you per person or per accident.
You can opt from amongst the 2 types of limits:
You can opt from amongst the 2 types of limits:
- Single combined limit (CSL): In this case a total fixed amount is paid after adding up cost of treating all injuries and property damage that was caused by one particular accident.
- Split limit: This is the maximum amount of money paid per person and the maximum amount paid per accident. As the name suggests this limit is set in two numbers.
What are the restrictions in bodily injury liability insurance?
Bodily injury has a few restrictions as mentioned below:
- If you own multiple vehicles and one of them has bodily injury liability, then the rest of your vehicles need to have bodily injury liability too.
- All the vehicles you own must have the same amount of bodily injury coverage on a single policy.
- There are state laws that tell you how much bodily injury coverage your state requires you to have. This is the state minimum requirement.
- There may be limits in a policy depending on the radius of operation.
- Extra trailers may be required to give a flat fee for bodily injury.
- Bodily injury policy does not protect you in case the act (accident) has been proved to be intentional.
Hi,
Suppose I'm driving a car and have an adult passenger with me who's not my relative. I cause an accident and the passenger gets injured. Would he be entitled to get payment from my Liability? I'm insured with Geico, looked at the papers and nowhere do they say that the injured person must not be in the vehicle I'm driving for them to be covered under liability.
Thanks.
Suppose I'm driving a car and have an adult passenger with me who's not my relative. I cause an accident and the passenger gets injured. Would he be entitled to get payment from my Liability? I'm insured with Geico, looked at the papers and nowhere do they say that the injured person must not be in the vehicle I'm driving for them to be covered under liability.
Thanks.
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 04:48 am Post Subject:
Are you not an adult driver? do you have license to drive? do you have a policy of your own? or added to the policy of your parents? Whose vehicle are you driving?
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 05:03 am Post Subject:
Suppose I'm driving a car and have an adult passenger with me who's not my relative. I cause an accident and the passenger gets injured. Would he be entitled to get payment from my Liability?
Yes, he can ask for compensation under your bodily injury liability coverage if he isn't residing in the same household. However, different states may have different practices. Hence, you may get it clarified from the state DMV as well.
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 06:12 am Post Subject:
If you were negligent he can collect under your policy. It does not matter if he lives in your HH or even if he is your brother. The only stipulation is that you must be legally liable for his injury.
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 03:32 pm Post Subject: Liability Coverage
I was under the assumption bodily injury liability coverage only pays for the vehicle and passengers you hit. Not your own passengers. It sounds like you were found at-fault. If you had medical coverage or personal injury protection (pip) on your policy, your passenger would be covered. If the accident was not your fault, than the other guys liability coverage (BI) would cover your passengers injuries.
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 05:11 am Post Subject:
Hi Roberts, just wondering if the driver is living in the non PIP state, who would cover the injuries caused to the passenger of the vehicle? I've read the information somewhere that if the passenger isn't a member of the same household, he/she can receive compensation from the bodily injury liability coverage of the driver. Isn't this true?
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 05:15 am Post Subject:
If the driver cause the injury to the passenger, the passenger can/would collect from the drivers bodily injury coverage. About the only time this _may_ not apply is if they are husband/wife (as in some states one could not be liable to the other). It does not matter if they were in separate cars or the same car... legal liability does not change.
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:29 pm Post Subject:
I cause an accident and the passenger gets injured. Would he be entitled to get payment from my Liability?
yes...pure and simple...folks...as Tcope has tried to get across...hh members, and even spousal immunity has disappeared in most if not all states....if you are driving a car cause an accident, injure the people in your car (as well as maybe the other car) all these injuries are covered under the vehicle's bodily injury liability protection.
Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 09:08 am Post Subject: Infinity Car insurance will try to scam you into not paying
I was recently in an accident, and I thought I had "Full coverage" with Infinity car insurance, however they are currently denying to pay for my passengers medical bills and injuries. I have not yet hired a lawyer since this accident just happened a couple days ago, however now that I researched this, I might have to get one.
Infinity representatives and my claim representative are telling me that my bodily injury liability protection in my insurance only covers the other vehicle, and not my passengers....my passenger was a co-worker that does not live with me, nor is my relative either.
I am calling a lawyer ASAP now, thanks guys.
I suggest to stay away from Inifity car insurance, they will try very hard not to honor their obligations of paying when you actually need them....
Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 12:14 pm Post Subject:
Robert, your BI coverage would only cover your passenger if YOU were negligent/responsible for this passengers injuries. Now if the at fault party was uninsured your Uninsured motorist coverage would apply. If you have medpay or PIP, that too would be extended to your passenger, without nelgigence on your part.
But again, Robert, were you at fault for this accident/injury? If not, then your BI coverage (in all states I've worked in) would not come into play.
Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 06:35 pm Post Subject:
As Lori has pointed out, coverage under YOUR policy is for YOUR negligence. If you have been determined to NOT be at fault for the collision, there is nothing for the BI portion of the policy to pay. If the other driver was at fault, it is their insurer's responsibility to pay for your damages, and those of your passengers.
Un/underinsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) is the only portion of your policy (if you have it) that would cover your or your passengers' injuries -- and only if the other driver was uninsured or after their policy limits are exhausted and there are unpaid claims remaining.
Don't waste your money on a lawyer to sue YOUR insurer if you were not at fault for the collision. But if that's the case, the lawyer might be interested in suing the other driver. Still, you and your passengers should be filing claims against the other driver's insurance if that party was at fault.
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