The Minimum Amount of Coverage Allowed by Law

Washington car insurance requirements mandate that all drivers must carry at least a minimum amount of liability coverage. The minimum limits allowed by law in the state of Washington is commonly referred to as 25/50/10 coverage. This means that you need to have at least $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage for a single person in a single accident and $50,000 in bodily injury liability coverage if two or more people are injured in an accident in which you are at fault. You must also carry at least $10,000 in property damage liability coverage.

The state of Washington follows a tort system which means that whenever an accident occurs someone must be found to be at fault for causing the accident. It is the person who is at fault that will be responsible for paying any damages to the other parties involved. That is why having a liability insurance policy is so important. When you have liability coverage your insurance provider will step in and assume the financial responsibility, paying for any medical bills or property damage resulting from an accident that you cause, up to the limits stated in your policy.

Although a 25/50/10 plan is enough to be in compliance with Washington car insurance requirements it may be a good idea to purchase more than the absolute minimum allowed by law. It is very easy for medical bills and property damage to exceed these minimum amounts and if you are at fault in an accident and the damages to exceed the amount stated in your policy, you would be financially responsible for paying the difference. Because of this, many drivers elect to purchase more than just the minimum amount of coverage.

In addition to simply increasing the amount of your liability coverage limits, many drivers also choose to purchase other types of insurance. Many drivers will purchase a collision coverage policy so that their property damage expenses will be covered even if they are at fault accident. A lot of drivers also choose to purchase a comprehensive policy which will cover things like theft, vandalism, natural disasters etc.