Bodily Injury
Plain English
Bodily injury coverage is the part of your policy that pays when you're found responsible for hurting someone else, whether that's a pedestrian you hit with your car or a visitor who gets injured at your home. It covers their medical bills and related costs, not yours.
Definition
Bodily injury refers to physical harm, sickness, or death suffered by another person as a result of an accident or incident for which a policyholder may be held legally responsible. In liability insurance, bodily injury coverage typically pays for the injured party's medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and related legal costs, up to the policy's stated limit. Auto policies commonly express this as a bodily injury liability limit, often shown as two numbers, such as $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident.
Why It Matters
Bodily injury liability limits are often set too low by default, especially state-minimum auto limits, relative to how expensive serious medical treatment and lost income claims can actually be. Choosing higher bodily injury limits is frequently one of the most impactful, and relatively inexpensive, coverage decisions available on an auto or homeowners policy.
Real-World Example
After Ravi caused a multi-car accident that seriously injured another driver, the injured driver's medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering claim together exceeded $80,000. Ravi's bodily injury liability coverage, set at $100,000 per person, covered the full claim, but if he'd carried only his state's minimum limit of $25,000, he would have been personally responsible for the difference.
Common Misconceptions
- People sometimes assume bodily injury coverage pays for their own injuries, when it's specifically designed to cover injuries to other people you're found liable for.
- It's sometimes assumed the state-minimum bodily injury limit is adequate protection, when it's often set far below what a serious injury claim can actually cost.
- Some think bodily injury and property damage liability are the same coverage, when they're typically separate limits within the same liability section of a policy.
- People sometimes believe bodily injury liability only applies to car accidents, when the same underlying concept applies to homeowners and general liability claims involving injuries to others.
Key Takeaways
- Bodily injury coverage pays for injuries you're found responsible for causing to someone else, not your own injuries.
- Auto policies typically express bodily injury limits as a per-person and per-accident amount.
- State-minimum bodily injury limits are often lower than what a serious claim can cost.
- Raising your bodily injury limit is often a relatively low-cost way to meaningfully reduce your financial exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between bodily injury liability and personal injury protection?
Bodily injury liability pays for injuries you cause to someone else and generally requires a determination of fault, while personal injury protection, available in some states, pays for your own injuries regardless of who caused the accident.
How much bodily injury coverage should I carry?
There's no single right answer, but many people choose limits well above their state's minimum, often in the range of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident or higher, based on their assets and risk tolerance. An insurance agent can help you think through your specific situation.
Does bodily injury coverage pay the injured person directly?
Typically, yes, the insurer pays the injured party or their medical providers and attorneys directly, on behalf of the at-fault policyholder, rather than routing the payment through the policyholder themselves.
What happens if a bodily injury claim exceeds my policy limit?
You could be personally responsible for the amount above your limit, which is a common reason people carry an umbrella policy on top of their auto or homeowners liability coverage.
Is bodily injury coverage required by law?
Most states require some minimum amount of bodily injury liability coverage for drivers, though the required minimums and rules vary significantly by state, so it's worth checking your specific state's requirements.
Related Terms
Related Coverages
- Auto Insurance
- General Liability Insurance
- Umbrella Insurance
Related Scenarios
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Explore the rest of the Liability category.
Browse Liability terms →Educational information, not advice: This page is for general education only, not legal, financial, or insurance advice. Actual coverage, discounts, and requirements depend on your policy’s wording, your insurer, and the laws of your state. Confirm specifics with your own insurer or a licensed agent before making a decision. Insurpedia does not sell insurance and does not recommend specific insurers.