Coverage types decoded
Bodily Injury Liability — Who Gets Paid and How Much
Educational only · not insurance advice. PickRV is not an insurance broker, agent, producer, or carrier. Coverage varies by carrier and policy. Verify any decision with a licensed insurance professional in your state.
TL;DR
Bodily Injury (BI) Liability pays for medical bills, lost wages, and pain-and-suffering claims of other people you injure in an at-fault accident. It does not cover your own injuries. Limits are listed per-person and per-accident (e.g. 100/300). Higher limits cost surprisingly little; the increase from minimum to 100/300 commonly adds $10-$30/month.
The boundary
Where this coverage stops
Covered
5- Medical expenses of people you injure in an at-fault accident.
- Lost wages of people you injure.
- Pain-and-suffering damages awarded by court or settlement.
- Funeral expenses in fatality cases (subject to per-person limit).
- Legal defense costs if you are sued, within policy limit.
Not covered
6- Your own injuries (that is MedPay / PIP / health insurance).
- Injuries to your family members in most policies.
- Damage to vehicles or property (that is property damage liability).
- Damages above the per-person or per-accident limit.
- Punitive damages in most states.
- Intentional acts.
In practice
Real-world examples
Anonymized composite scenarios illustrating typical outcomes.
At-fault collision in Tucson, $185K claim — 100/300 limits paid $100K, gap covered by umbrella
A renter's at-fault accident on I-10 outside Tucson injured one other driver. The other driver's combined medical + lost wages + pain-and-suffering settlement was $185,000. The renter's BI policy at 100/300 paid the $100,000 per-person cap. The renter's personal umbrella picked up the $85,000 gap.
Outcome: Renter personal exposure: zero. Total recovery by injured party: $185,000. Combined annual cost of BI + umbrella: ~$1,400; one-time accident cost without the stack: $85,000 personal liability.
State-minimum 25/50 in a serious accident — renter personally exposed $215K
A renter at state-minimum 25/50/25 had a serious at-fault accident injuring three people. Combined claims: $240,000. The renter's BI paid the $50,000 per-accident cap. The renter had no umbrella. Personal exposure: $190,000 in subrogation suits.
Outcome: Bankruptcy filed within 18 months. Lesson: state minimums are inadequate against serious-accident reality. Higher limits + umbrella are cheap, often $20-$40/month combined.
The money
Cost ranges
Industry-typical pricing from published carrier and industry sources. Actual quotes vary by state, vehicle, and driver history.
Industry-typical premium delta across major carriers.
Smaller incremental cost at higher limits — limit increases become cheaper per dollar of protection at higher tiers.
Industry-typical for healthy drivers; III guidance.
Fine print
What insurance companies don't say
Industry insider knowledge surfaced for educational transparency.
Per-person and per-accident limits constrain the worst-case
100/300 means: maximum $100K paid to any one injured person, and maximum $300K paid across all injured persons in a single accident. If one person has $200K of damages, your policy pays only $100K — the other $100K is your personal exposure (or umbrella, if you have one).
The first $100K of limits is the most expensive; higher tiers get cheaper per dollar
Going from $25K to $100K limits typically doubles the premium. Going from $100K to $500K typically adds only 30-50% to that premium. Higher limits are progressively cheaper per dollar of protection — most consumers under-buy because they assume linear pricing.
Umbrella policies are the highest-leverage personal-insurance line
A personal umbrella commonly costs $200-$400/year and stacks on top of auto BI + homeowners liability + renter liability. For households with assets to protect, the umbrella is almost always the highest-leverage personal-insurance line item — more cost-effective per dollar of protection than any individual policy buy-up. Specific limits and pricing are set by your own licensed carrier.
By state
State variations
CACalifornia
California minimum BI: 15/30 (rising to 30/60 under SB 1107 starting 2025).
FLFlorida
Florida technically does not require BI liability except in specified circumstances; PIP-based system.
TXTexas
Texas minimum BI: 30/60.
FAQ
Is BI mandatory in every state?
Almost. Florida is the major exception — Florida's PIP-based system does not require BI for routine compliance. All other states mandate some BI minimum.
Does BI cover my passengers?
Yes — passengers in your vehicle injured by your fault are typically covered by BI. Family members in the household are sometimes excluded (depends on policy).
What is 'per-person' versus 'per-accident'?
Per-person is the maximum paid to any single injured party. Per-accident is the maximum paid across all injured parties combined in one accident. A 100/300 policy can pay up to $100K to one person or up to $300K across multiple people.
Do BI claims affect my rates?
Yes — at-fault claims commonly raise rates for 3-5 years. Severity matters; a $5K BI claim is rate-impactful but a $200K claim is more so.
How high should my BI limit be?
At minimum 100/300/100 for most households. Higher (250/500 or 500/1000) if you have significant assets. Pair with a personal umbrella for households with home equity, retirement accounts, or future-earning potential.
When to consult a broker
Talk to a broker at every renewal about BI limits and the umbrella stack. The marginal cost of going from 100/300 to 250/500 plus adding an umbrella is typically $30-$60/month combined — for households with any meaningful assets, this is the single highest-leverage decision in personal insurance.
Sources
- [1]III — Auto Insurance Basics — Auto insurance basics
- [2]NAIC — Auto Insurance Buyer's Guide — Auto insurance coverage explained
- [3]NAIC — Consumer Insurance Search — Consumer regulator + complaint portal
- [4]California Department of Insurance — California state insurance regulator
- [5]Florida Office of Insurance Regulation — Florida state insurance regulator
- [6]Texas Department of Insurance — Texas state insurance regulator
- [7]III — Facts + Statistics — RV / recreational vehicle industry stats
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