Updated May 2026
What Is Bodily Injury Liability Insurance?
Bodily injury liability is the coverage that pays when you cause a crash that injures someone else. It covers their medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering claims, and your legal defense if they sue. Every state except New Hampshire requires minimum coverage amounts, expressed as split limits: the first number is the maximum payout per injured person, the second is the total payout per crash. If you carry 25/50 limits and injure three people in one crash, each person can collect up to $25,000, but the total paid across all three cannot exceed $50,000.
- You rear-end a stopped car at 40 mph. The other driver has $18,000 in emergency room bills, $22,000 in orthopedic surgery costs, and $8,000 in lost wages over three months. Total claim: $48,000. If you carry your state's minimum 25/50 limits, your policy pays the first $25,000. You are personally liable for the remaining $23,000, which the injured driver can pursue through a judgment or settlement.
- You cause a three-car pileup. Driver A has $30,000 in injuries. Driver B has $35,000. Driver C has $15,000. Total injuries: $80,000. Your policy has 50/100 limits. Each driver can collect up to $50,000 per person, but the per-occurrence cap is $100,000 total. Driver A receives $30,000. Driver B receives $35,000. Driver C receives $15,000. The $20,000 shortfall to reach full payout for all three is not covered—you pay it, or they pursue you legally.
- You're found at fault in a crash that injures a delivery driver who claims $90,000 in medical costs and lost income. They sue. Your bodily injury liability policy assigns an attorney and covers all defense costs outside the policy limits. The case settles for $75,000 before trial. If your limits are 100/300, the settlement is paid in full. If your limits are 50/100, the policy pays $50,000, and you negotiate the remaining $25,000 personally or face a judgment.
How Much Does Bodily Injury Liability Insurance Cost?
Bodily injury liability typically costs $40–$75 per month for state minimum limits, $70–$130 per month for 100/300 limits, depending on state, driving record, and vehicle.
- Your violation history—each moving violation in the past three years increases liability premium by 15–40 percent, because carriers view repeat offenders as higher-probability crash risks.
- State minimum requirements—states with higher mandated limits (Maine requires 50/100, California requires 15/30) drive baseline premium differences of $300–$600 annually.
- Coverage limit selected—increasing from 25/50 to 100/300 typically adds $25–$50 per month, but doubles your protection against personal liability exposure.
- Your credit-based insurance score in states that allow it—a lower score can increase liability premium by 20–50 percent, separate from your driving record.
- Population density in your ZIP code—urban counties with higher crash frequency and medical costs can add 30–60 percent to liability rates compared to rural areas in the same state.
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Who Needs Bodily Injury Liability Insurance?
If you've accumulated multiple moving violations and crossed your state's point threshold, you're statistically more likely to cause an at-fault crash in the next policy term. Carriers price you as high-risk for this reason. Carrying bodily injury limits well above your state minimum—100/300 or higher—protects your wages, savings, and future income from a judgment if you injure someone seriously. Most drivers with suspension histories carry state minimums to lower premium, but that strategy backfires if your next crash results in $60,000 in injuries and you hold 25/50 coverage.
Carry limits that match or exceed your net worth. If you have $80,000 in home equity, retirement savings, and vehicle value combined, 100/300 limits are the floor. If you have no attachable assets but earn $50,000 annually, 50/100 covers most judgment scenarios without forcing you into wage garnishment. State minimums satisfy legal requirements but expose you personally the moment actual damages exceed those limits.