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Coverage types decoded

Bodily Injury Liability — Who Gets Paid and How Much

The first number on your auto policy. Here is exactly what it pays for and where it stops.

By PickRV·Cited primary sources·Updated May 18, 2026

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.

What this covers

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.

What it does NOT cover

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.

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.

Cost ranges

Industry-typical pricing from published carrier and industry sources. Actual quotes vary by state, vehicle, and driver history.

Increase from state-minimum to 100/300~$10-$30/month

Industry-typical premium delta across major carriers.

Increase from 100/300 to 250/500~$5-$15/month

Smaller incremental cost at higher limits — limit increases become cheaper per dollar of protection at higher tiers.

Personal umbrella (stacks on BI; limit set by your carrier)$200-$400/year

Industry-typical for healthy drivers; III guidance.

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.

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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