Farmers car insurance liability coverage: what you need to know

Every responsible driver and car owner will have car insurance in place to guarantee that should he or she cause an accident, the victims’ costs and damages will be compensated for. If you’re considering Farmers car insurance, liability coverage will be one of the first coverage options you have to evaluate and put in place.

Liability is essential…and it’s basic

Every state requires its licensed drivers to be able to show financial responsibility for any expenses other drivers, passengers or property owners incur from car accidents they cause. The easiest and most common way to fulfill that obligation is through the purchase of car insurance and the liability portions of that insurance are the foundation for taking on that responsibility. There are two elements to car insurance liability coverage: bodily injury and property damage. As the names suggest, one portion of a liability option covers the expenses to treat injuries (bodily injury) you cause to others in an accident that is your fault, and the other portion pays to repair damage to property (including other drivers’ cars) you cause.

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These elements of liability coverage are so essential to car insurance laws and practices that each state sets a minimum required level of coverage for each that licensed drivers must carry. While these limits are relatively low, especially when it comes to being able to pay for extensive medical services in the event of a serious accident with multiple victims, they do set a floor under which injured parties do have some initial recourse. When you are putting your Farmers car insurance liability coverage in place, be sure you know what the minimum required levels are in the state where you live and drive.

Knowing and understanding your coverage levels

When you are considering your Farmers car insurance liability coverage, you will probably be presented with a quote that looks something like this:

Liability Coverage:  50/100/30

Premium Due: $110.00

That first, three number statement represents the full range of your liability coverage limits. The first number indicates the maximum level of coverage available to pay for any single bodily injury claim in an accident you cause. That second number is the total amount covered for bodily injury claims in an accident you cause (in other words, if two or more other parties are injured, this is the maximum amount your insurance will pay for their injuries.) The third number represents the total amount your policy will pay to repair any property damage you cause in an accident.

When it comes to your state minimum required levels for car insurance liability coverage, ranges vary. The lowest required level of bodily injury liability you need to carry comes in Florida where that limit is $10,000. The highest level of single event bodily injury liability you need to carry can be found in several states, starting with Alaska, where the limit is $50,000. Property damage requirements range from a low of $5,000 in states like California and Massachusetts to a high of $55,000 found in Wisconsin. Since you can get Farmers car insurance liability coverage in any of the 50 states, be sure you start with a baseline of coverage that keeps you legally compliant.

Whenever possible, get more coverage

While liability car insurance is a general requirement of being a licensed driver, it has the benefit of being the least expensive car insurance coverage option when it comes to rates and premiums. Of course, there are a number of states that have added additional coverage options required by the licensed drivers of that state. Some states require licensed drivers to carry uninsured/underinsured motorists protection in addition to liability coverage. Several states are what are known as no fault states for the purposes of car insurance law and requirements and in these states, drivers are required to carry some form of no fault insurance in addition to the required levels of liability. Even if you live in a state where you need to have additional coverage beyond liability, you should try to put in place liability car insurance coverage levels in excess of your state’s minimum. It’s relatively inexpensive to add more levels of liability coverage, especially with Farmers given the broad range of premium discounts you may be eligible for with them.

Why more coverage? Take, for example, the state of California with its property damage liability limit of $5,000. If you live and drive in that state and carry only the minimum level of coverage and you rear-end a driver in a relatively new car (destroying the bumper and taillights and trunk and maybe even large parts of the exhaust system) do you honestly believe that $5,000 will cover the damage? If it doesn’t, you could open yourself to the injured party taking additional steps (including a possible lawsuit) to recoup the shortfall your bare minimum liability coverage left.

Liability is only one part of the equation

While having the right level of Farmers car insurance liability coverage is important, remember that the liability features only pay for the damages you cause to others in an accident found to be your fault. Liability only won’t pay for any damage caused to your own car, it won’t cover expenses your passengers may incur, and it puts a hard cap on medical expenses reimbursement. A well-rounded car insurance policy wil have additional options you should consider and you can get a full range of coverage options with any Farmers car insurance policy.

Knowing what’s required and what’s best for your driving needs when you are putting together any car insurance coverage policy might benefit from spending some time with a local, licensed car insurance agent with access to leading companies like Farmers. Any agent can answer your questions about coverage levels and limits and an agent can also show you comparative proposals you can evaluate before you buy. Reply! can be of assistance to you in the process as we can connect you to car insurance agents in your area eager to help yo put just the right car insurance coverage plan in place.