Confused About Mandatory Car Insurance Coverage in Illinois? A Rockford Car Crash Attorney Explains the Requirements.

A car accident in Rockford can cause severe injuries as well as extreme property damage. As such, Illinois law requires drivers to purchase auto liability insurance as a means of financial protection. Following is an overview of the minimum auto insurance requirements in Illinois:

Auto liability insurance covers you when you cause a car accident in Rockford resulting in injuries or property damage. Liability insurance is divided into two distinct kinds of coverage:

• Bodily Injury (BI) pays medical bills and funeral costs for those injured or killed in the accident—a pedestrian, passenger in another car, or passenger in your car that does not live with you. Illinois requires minimum BI limits of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident, which means that the insurance company will pay up to $20,000 for each person injured in the accident up to a total of $40,000 for the entire accident.
• Property Damage (PD) pays for the physical damage caused by the crash. This includes damage to property including the other person’s vehicle as well as buildings, utility poles, signs, fences, and trees. Illinois requires minimum PD limits of at least $15,000 per accident, which means the insurance company will pay up to $15,000 to repair or replace the damaged property.

If you did not cause the Rockford car crash, the at-fault driver’s liability insurance will cover your injuries and property damage. However, because they are many uninsured and underinsured motorists on the road today, Illinois also requires two additional types of auto insurance coverage:

• Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Coverage (UM) pays your medical bills when a hit-and-run driver or at-fault driver who does not have auto insurance causes a car accident in Rockford that injures you. Illinois requires drivers to purchase a minimum of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident in UM coverage.
• Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury Insurance (UIM) pays the difference between your UIM limits and the BI limits carried by the at-fault driver. You must purchase UIM insurance if you purchase UM coverage above the state-mandated minimum coverage amounts.

Although nobody likes to pay auto insurance premiums, many of us need auto insurance at some point in our driving career. If you have been injured in a car accident in Rockford, you need compassionate, skilled, and experienced legal help you can trust. A Rockford car accident attorney at The Fisk & Monteleone Law Firm will take the time to understand your situation, answer your questions, and help you to understand your legal options—all during a free case evaluation. Contact our office today at 815-962–0044 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a complimentary appointment. We are standing by to help.