Car and Motorcycle Insurance Laws by State

Everyone knows you must buy car and motorcycle insurance from insurance companies depending on your vehicle.

Liability insurance is needed for the bodily injury and property damage you may cause or other related harm in a motor vehicle accident.

Some states do not require you to obtain insurance or liability coverage.

In that case, you must show you have the requisite financial responsibility to pay for the bodily injury and property damage you cause through a surety, deposit, or other means.

Our attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC work with victims of motor vehicle accidents to determine what motorcycle or car insurance coverage applies to their case.

The following sections discuss this in more detail and examine state rules for liability insurance and liability coverage related to bodily injury and property damage.

Car and Motorcycle Insurance Laws by State

Most states demand liability coverage and personal injury protection for bodily injury and property destruction.

You will need a motorcycle or car liability insurance policy that covers the following scenarios:

• Personal injury damage in general
• Personal injury damage for one accident
• Property damage for one accident

Here is a list of these insurance laws by state for property damage coverage, bodily injury liability coverage, and similar info.

State	Liability Insurance Coverage Requirement Type	Coverage Amounts
Alabama	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability	25/50/25
Alaska	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability	50/100/25
Arizona	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability	15/30/10
Arkansas	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance law Requirements	25/50/25
California	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability	15/30/5
Colorado	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability	25/50/15
Connecticut	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured; Underinsured	20/40/10
Delaware	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection	15/30/10
D.C.	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured; Underinsured	25/50/10
Florida	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection	10/20/10
Georgia	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability	25/50/10
Hawaii	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection	20/40/10
Idaho	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	25/50/10
Illinois	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured	25/50/20
Indiana	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured	25/50/10
Iowa	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured	25/40/15
Kansas	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection; Uninsured	25/50/25
Kentucky	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection	25/50/10
Louisiana	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	15/30/25
Maine	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured; Underinsured	25/100/25
Maryland	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection; Uninsured	30/60/10
Massachusetts	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection; Uninsured	20/40/5
Michigan	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection;	20/40/10
Minnesota	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection; Uninsured; Underinsured	30/60/10
Mississippi	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	25/50/25
Missouri	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured	25/50/10
Montana	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	25/50/10
Nebraska	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	25/50/25
Nevada	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	15/30/10
New	Hampshire Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	25/50/25
New	Jersey Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection; Uninsured	15/30/5
New Mexico	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	25/50/10
New York	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection; Uninsured	25/50/10
North Carolina	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	30/60/25
North Dakota	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection; Uninsured	25/50/25
Ohio	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	25/50/35
Oklahoma	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	25/50/25
Oregon	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection; Uninsured	25/50/25
Pennsylvania	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection	15/30/5
Rhode Island	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured	25/50/25
South Carolina	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured	25/50/25
South Dakota	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured	25/50/25
Tennessee	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability 25/50/15
Texas	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	30/60/25
Utah	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Personal Injury Protection	25/65/15
Vermont	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured; Underinsured	25/50/10
Virginia	Mandatory Minimum Insurance law Requirements	25/50/20
Washington	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	25/50/10
West Virginia	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability; Uninsured	25/50/25
Wisconsin	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	25/50/10
Wyoming	Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance Law Requirement	25/50/20

If you have questions about motorcycle insurance, personal injury protection, or car insurance from any insurance company, call us to discuss your liability insurance issues.

What Bodily Injury and Property Damage and Other Losses Will Insurance Cover?

Calculating the exact damages and financial compensation in a car or motorcycle crash case can be complicated and often requires the expertise of economists, lawyers, and other professionals.

Most severe or fatal cases are resolved through a negotiated settlement process outside of court, where the case was resolved for an agreed-upon amount.

• Economic Damages: Out-of-pocket losses like medical expenses, medical payments, lost wages, etc.
• Non-Economic Damages: Intangible damage such as scarring, lost life normalcy, handicap, lost self-esteem, etc.
• Punitive Damages: Loss from wanton and reckless actions like drinking and driving, riding while texting, etc.
• Wrongful Death Damages: The pain and harm from losing a loved one in a terrible accident and accompanying costs like funeral expenses, lost support, etc.

*Note that some are only available through case or settlement, not insurance.

We can check the state car and motorcycle insurance laws that apply if an automobile owner, motorcycle owner, motorcycle rider, or other owners of motor vehicles (like trucks) harmed you.

Their auto, motorcycle, or car insurance policies might pay benefits per person for one accident, and we can determine what that coverage pays and what the liability limits are.

How an Attorney Can Help with Your Insurance Claim

Your car accident lawyers must gather evidence, investigate the dispute, talk to eyewitnesses, take depositions, and exchange the discovery with defense attorneys.

At some point, your lawyer will schedule negotiations to settle the case out of court by showing the claims adjuster or defendant’s attorneys why their client is entitled to compensation in an amount that has been accurately calculated.

Your attorney can pursue financial compensation for several things, including the following:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Disability/disfigurement
• If wrongful death: lost support and companionship, funeral bills, and burial expenses.

Call us if you have a new motorcycle and want to discuss insurance law requirements and other topics like self-insurance, pip coverage, and saving money on minimum limits or mandatory minimums (minimum amount).

Things You Need to Do After a Car Crash or Motorcycle Accident?

Suppose you are involved in a motor vehicle accident.

In that case, there are steps you should take to protect your future claim and be able to collect on a motorcycle insurance policy or a car insurance policy from an insurance company for property damage coverage or bodily injury coverage as well as personal injury protection, uninsured motorist insurance coverage, etc.

Right from the beginning, the at-fault party will move to try and squash your (or the person injured, especially if it was guest passenger liability) ability to receive financial compensation, so take caution and act smart.

Here are some steps we typically recommend to personal injury victims of motor vehicle collisions:

• First, seek medical attention.
• Second, hire a qualified car accident lawyer.
• Third, make a record of the accident.
• Fourth, contact your employer.

Of course, this is just a start, and there will be other things you should do and steps you need to take.  Talk with your car accident lawyer about coming up with the right plan of attack for your case today!

We can discuss with you or the person injured important topics including car and motorcycle insurance law requirements per person, uninsured motorist coverage, financial responsibility, and required coverage pays for occurrence property damage liability and property damage coverage, bodily injury liability and bodily injury coverage from an insurance company, personal injury protection, etc. for all car and motorcycle riders.

Car Accident and Motorcycle Crash Cases

Read the following summaries to better understand car and motorcycle insurance and how they apply to accidents.

$2,500,000 Motorcycle Settlement:

This incident occurred on the streets of Chicago. A man in his late fifties was driving through the intersection of Lehigh and Hiawatha when a truck popped out right in front of him.

The trucker did not yield to him and left the stop sign area too soon.

The motorcyclist slammed into the side of him, causing a fatal motorcycle crash. This case for wrongful death claims was brought on behalf of his surviving family members, including his mother and siblings.

They filed a claim for damages, injuries, loss of companionship, pain, suffering, and compensation under Illinois personal injury and wrongful death law.

The defendant was working at the time of the fatal motorcycle crash. The plaintiffs could then deal directly with that business’ insurance company for relief. They settled for a reported $2.5 million.

If you want to know how to complete and provide proof of the minimum insurance requirements for a new motorcycle, car, or other motor vehicle.

Coverage options may seem daunting, but we can help you reach the state minimum liability limit for collision coverage and financial responsibility.

$495,000 Car Crash Settlement:

A young woman in her late teens was injured when her friend crashed into a pole in the Cook County suburbs of Chicago.  She sustained a concussion, broken clavicle, and other personal injuries.

They necessitated multiple surgeries (medical bills were more than $75,000).  The young girl also experienced ongoing pain and disability due to the circumstances of the motor vehicle accident.

She sued the driver for reckless driving and negligence.  The pair agreed to settle the matter for $495,000.

$800,000 Motorcycle Collision Settlement:

A family filed this case after they lost a loved one in a Chicago-area fatal motorcycle accident. The death came weeks after the collision, but he could not overcome his injuries. He had a wife and children at that tragic time.

The motorcycle rider was traveling on I-55 when the defendant turned left in front of him, attempting to get onto a frontage road near the exit. The motorcycle/car collision could not be avoided despite their best efforts.

After the death, the family member, spouse, and children were left with funeral and burial expenses and other damages and grief.

They sought recompense in court for the extraordinary toll that this incident caused them, and the defendant’s auto insurance carrier eventually conceded with an $800,000 settlement.

Find out how to obtain comprehensive coverage from insurance companies for a motorcycle insurance policy (or motorcycle liability insurance), including the following:

• Bodily injury liability
• Property damage coverage
• Uninsured motorist insurance coverage
• Personal injury protection
• Under-insured coverage

$1,100,000 Auto Accident Settlement:

This unfortunate incident was as consequential as avoidable.

A truck driver was hauling a big rig too large for his frame when he ran a red and T-boned a 79-year-old woman in Winnebago County, Illinois.

The woman suffered a traumatic brain injury, broken hip, fractured wrist, damaged pelvis, cut open spleen, and left pneumothorax.  Doctors had to perform immediate surgery, but long-term rehabilitative care was also required (medical expenses were north of $750,000).

The subsequent claim against the driver was routed to the insurance company, Progressive, which eventually settled the matter for $1.1 million.

$2,000,000 Motor Vehicle Settlement:

A man in his late sixties was hauling his tractor-trailer along Interstate eighty.  A semi-truck tried to go around him but clipped the back of his large truck in the process.

The error caused a collision and subsequent fire.  The man could not escape the flames and perished in the tragic incident.

Four children survived him, all were adults.  They incurred almost $10,000 in funeral expenses and immeasurable grief and loss.

They sued the defendant trucker and the large truck company he worked for.  Despite initial protestations, the two sides arrived at a settlement.  The family received $2 million in financial compensation.

Talk to our team of experienced attorneys today about the insurance company or insurance companies involved in your case and related concerns like the following:

• Motorcycle insurance
• Personal injury protection
• Uninsured motorist coverage
• Driver’s license laws by state
• Bodily injury liability
• Bodily injury coverage per person
• Motorcycle insurance requirements for motorcycle owners
• Self-insurance
• Mandatory minimums

We can help motorcycle riders like you or those injured get the assistance you need and the financial compensation you deserve.

Attorneys that Can Handle Your Motorcycle or Car Insurance Claim

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help you with your legal and insurance claims.

Call our Chicago car accident lawyers today to schedule an initial consultation with no obligation about your compensation claim and to learn more about the compensation that may be available to you.

We can review issues related to state auto insurance laws, insurance company claims, property damage coverage, bodily injury coverage, and personal injury protection.

We have assisted many victims and their families in recovering compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, and pain related to injuries and medical treatment suffered in a car accident. Let us do the same for you.

Call us at 888-424-5757 to get started today.

Resources:

• Insurance Information Institute: Compulsory Auto/Uninsured Drivers