When looking for car insurance, some may assume that your policy only needs to include general liability & collision insurance. However, this is not always the case.
While liability insurance covers third-party lawsuits over bodily harm and property damage, the requirements of your policy will still vary by state. And while general liability insurance is a must in Wisconsin, New York, and Illinois, collision insurance is not required in either of these states.
So what else do you need to have in order to meet your state's requirements?
Make sure you’re prepared for the road ahead and check out what your policy is required to include and discover how you can better protect yourself financially in your time of need.
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements for Wisconsin
The phrase “America’s Dairyland” has been proudly featured on the Wisconsin license plate for decades and, unfortunately, sometimes drivers get so close to them that they cause an accident.
To make sure you’re prepared with the minimum requirements, your Wisconsin car insurance policy needs to include:
- General Liability
- $25,000 for injuries to one person
- $50,000 total for injury or death to multiple people in one accident
- $10,000 for property damage
- Uninsured Motorist
- $25,000 for injuries to one person
- $50,000 for total injuries per accident
- Underinsured Motorist
- $25,000 for injuries to one person
- $50,000 for total injuries per accident
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements for New York
While Wisconsin ranks just 20th for states with the most registered automobiles as of 2015, the state of New York comes in at number four with over 4,868,000 vehicles.
With that many cars and the hustle and bustle of the largest city in the nation, you can imagine the Empire State gets its fair share of fender benders. So, here’s what we know.
In New York, the law mandates that all registered vehicle owners from the state carry:
- General Liability
- $25,000 for injuries to one person
- $50,000 for injuries to multiple people
- $50,000 for death to one person
- $100,000 for death to multiple people
- $10,000 for property damage
- No-Fault
- Which covers your accident-related medical expenses
- Ensures 80% of your lost income due to injuries from a car accident, which comes with a limit of $2,000
- Includes as much as $25 a day for expenses, including household help (for up to one year from the date of the accident)
- Offers a $2,000 death benefit on top of the $50,000 limit
- Uninsured Motorist
- $25,000 for injuries to one person
- $50,000 for injuries to multiple people
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements for Illinois
In the Land of Lincoln, you’ll find the third largest city (behind New York City and Los Angeles), which is also home to a few recent champions in professional sports.
So a big town with big stadiums means that getting in and out of the parking lots can result in quite a few accidents, which is not an ideal way to end your evening.
To protect yourself and comply with Illinois’ car insurance laws, you must have:
- General Liability
- $25,000 for bodily injury per person
- $50,000 total for bodily injury per accident
- $20,000 for property damage
- Uninsured Motorist
- $25,000 per person
- $50,000 total per accident
What Else Can Improve Your Policy?
If you choose to protect yourself financially beyond your state’s requirements, you can certainly do so. In this case, you’ll want to consider adding a few car insurance coverage types, such as:
- Collision – This helps you cover damages to your car after most traffic accidents
- Comprehensive – This coverage helps pay for car damage that is related to events that do not involve a traffic accident. Examples include fires, thefts, and collisions with animals
- Medical Payments – This will help pay your medical costs if you are injured in a car accident
- Towing and Labor
- Rental Reimbursement
Looking for car insurance that will meet your budget and your state’s requirements? Work with one of JM Insurance Services' advisors to find you the right coverage for the right price today!
