Do You Meet Illinois Car Insurance Minimums?
Car insurance: we all need to have it, but how much is enough? And how much should you have to make sure you’re covered in case of a Chicago car accident? The personal injury lawyers at Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys break down everything you need to know about Illinois car insurance minimums.
Is Car Insurance Required in Illinois?
Yes, vehicles registered in the state must carry a certain threshold of Illinois car insurance minimums.This includes all cars, vans, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, trucks and buses.
Failure to provide sufficient evidence of insurance when prompted by a law enforcement officer or when sent a random sampling questionnaire by the Mandatory Insurance Division of the Office of the Secretary of State can result in the suspension of your license plates and a minimum $500 fine.
What Kind of Car Insurance Is Required?
Illinois car insurance minimums require just one major type of coverage: vehicle liability insurance.
What is Vehicle Liability Insurance?
Vehicle liability insurance is a type of insurance coverage that provides compensation for bodily injury, death, and property damage resulting from a car accident in which you are found to be at fault.
This coverage applies to other motorists involved in the accident and any of their passengers. It can also apply to your own passengers if they are injured, and bicyclists or pedestrians involved in the accident.
What Are Illinois Car Insurance Minimums for Liability Coverage?
There are three Illinois car insurance minimums you must meet in order to comply with mandatory liability coverage. These include:
- $25,000 for the injury or death of one person in an accident
- $50,000 for the injury or death of two or more people in an accident ($25,000 limit per person)
- $20,000 for damage to the property of another person
As such, these minimums can go towards the medical bills and lost wages of persons injured in the accident you caused, and repair or replacement of the other driver’s vehicle.
What Other Kinds of Coverage Should You Have?
Although it is not required, it is recommended to purchase additional car insurance coverage to protect yourself in the case of an accident in which you were not at fault. In most cases when this happens, the other driver’s insurance company will compensate you at least partially.
However, if the motorist who hit you doesn’t have enough insurance coverage to cover the extent of your injuries (or if they don’t have insurance at all), underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage could help cover your medical bills and out-of-pocket repair costs.
In addition, medical payments (“med pay”) insurance coverage can come in handy if you sustain injuries in an accident. Med pay covers accident-related medical bills should you be injured in an accident and coverage is available regardless of fault.
Do You Really Need a Lawyer After a Car Accident?
In theory, car insurance (either your own or that of the at-fault driver) should step in to make sure your injuries are covered after an accident. Unfortunately, as many people have learned the hard way, most car insurance companies are only looking out for themselves, meaning that getting a fair settlement after an accident can be difficult.
Throw in complicated legalities like comparative negligence and making sense of it all while trying to recover and get back to work is near impossible to do on your own. At Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys, we know how to fight back against uncooperative insurance companies to get our clients the maximum settlement possible.
See for yourself what we can do for you by scheduling a free consultation with our team. Call us at 708-222-2222, talk to us on our LiveChat service, or submit the details of your claim for review using our contact form. There’s no fee unless we win!