Illinois Law requires all motor vehicle owners to have minimum amounts of auto liability insurance. In addition, lending institutions may require physical damage insurance to protect their interests in a financed vehicle.

In the State of Illinois the required minimum coverage for bodily injury is $20,000 per person injured in any one accident and $40,000 for all persons injured in any one accident.

The required minimum coverage for property damage is $15,000 for injury to or the destruction of property of others in any one accident.

Optional insurance may include Uninsured Motorist Coverage. The total amount of this insurance coverage must be equal to the bodily injury liability limits, unless specifically rejected in writing. The amount of Uninsured Motorist coverage may never be less than that which is legally required for Bodily Injury Liability Coverage.

Liability insurance will cover bodily injury (costs stemming from injury or death to pedestrians or to occupants in another vehicle) or property damage (costs stemming from damage to another person’s vehicle or property, i.e., fences, trees and buildings) caused by the policy holder’s negligent operation of the vehicle. Additionally, this coverage may also be used if a member of the policy holder’s family or another person with permission to use the vehicle caused an accident. Legal defense in lawsuits may also be covered under this insurance.

Illinois requires liability limits of 20/40/15 which represent $20,000 for bodily injury coverage per person and $40,000 for bodily injury cover per accident which will pay for medical bills and lost wages. The last number of 15 represents $15,000 for property damage coverage per accident which will pay for repairs and/or replacement of objects damaged or destroyed other than the policy holder’s own vehicle.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and No-Fault Coverage are not required by the state, however, Uninsured (UM) as well as Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM) is mandatory. The UM coverage will pay expenses for bodily injuries caused by a hit-and-fun driver or a driver without auto liability insurance who is at fault. The monetary limits here are $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident. UIM coverage will pay the difference between the policy holder’s UIM limits and the liability limits of the driver causing the accident if those limits are lower than UIM. This is required only if the policy holder purchases higher limits of UM coverage.

Collision Coverage as well as Comprehensive Coverage may also be required with regard to actual physical damage.

Elizabeth Newberry