Ohio law requires a minimum of $12,500 per person for bodily injury, $25,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $7,500 per accident for property damage liability for auto insurance. These are minimal numbers and would not cover any major accident expenses. It is recommended to carry $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident for bodily injury, $100,000 for property damage and $5,000 for medical payment coverage. Check with your auto insurance company to understand the details of coverages they offer. All coverages are limited to any terms and liabilities of your auto insurance company.

Bodily injury liability
If you are at fault in an accident, bodily injury coverage will cover the other party’s injuries, death, loss of wages, and pain and suffering costs. However, it does not cover the injuries, death, loss of wages, and pain and suffering costs of you or anyone else on your policy. You will need to purchase medical payment coverage for your policy or use your own health insurance if you want coverage for yourself and dependents. In the event you are sued by the other party, this coverage will also cover the expense of you auto insurance company representing you in court.

Property damage liability
When you cause accidental damage to another person’s property, be it a car, fence, pole, wall, etc, with your vehicle, property damage liability will cover repairing costs. It will also cover any legal costs that may ensue from the accident. Any additional costs over your coverage amount could leave you paying for repairs out of pocket.

Medical payment coverage
This coverage is not required by the state of Ohio but is highly recommended. Medical payments will pay for medical expenses as a result from being in an accident. This coverage applies to you and your passengers or to you or other family members as drivers and/or passengers in your car or in someone else’s car, or as a pedestrian (on foot or bike) regardless of fault.

Collision and Comprehensive coverage
Although you are not required to carry collision or comprehensive collision, it is suggested that you think about the consequences of not carrying these two coverages. Not carrying these coverages does mean that if your car is damaged in an accident or stolen, you would be responsible to pay for repairs or replacement out of your own pocket. Collision and comprehensive may be an expensive part of your car insurance, but ultimately it may cost less than replacing your current car.

Uninsured motorist liability
In the scenario you’re in an accident and the other driver, who is at fault, does not have auto insurance, uninsured motorist liability will cover you, passengers in your car, and any of your dependents for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of wages, and funeral expenses up to the limit you purchased for your policy. If you do not have health insurance, this particular coverage is especially beneficial for you.

Ohio follows a tort auto insurance system instead of a no-fault system. In a tort system, the driver who is at fault in an accident and their auto insurance company are responsible for all medical expenses of the driver and passengers in the other vehicle, including any lost wages or pain and suffering claims. This information may factor your decision of how much liability you purchase for your auto insurance policy.

Ohio Auto Insurance Requirement Chart:

• Bodily Injury Liability: $12,500/$25,000 Limit
• Property Damage Coverage: $7,500 Limit

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