State law requires a minimum of $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $10,000 per accident for property damage liability for auto insurance. 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.

Although you are not required to carry any additional coverages in your policy, it is beneficial to you to review and consider uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury and comprehension and collision.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury (not required by the state): In the scenario you’re in an accident and the other driver, who is at fault, does not have auto insurance, uninsured motorist bodily injury 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.

Collision and comprehensive (not required by the state): If you do not own your car outright (you’re making monthly payments to a bank) you may be required by that organization to carry collision and/or comprehensive. 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 without these coverages. Collision and comprehensive may be an expensive part of your car insurance, but ultimately it may cost less than replacing your current car.

Washington 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.

Operating your vehicle in the state of Washington without auto insurance will get you a fine of a minimum of $450.

Washington Auto Insurance Requirement Chart:

• Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
• Property Damage Coverage: $10,000 Limit

Compare & Save on Insurance by Visiting Our Comparison Form. Enter Your Zip Code, Select Insurance Type, then Click Go. One Form, Takes Only ~ 3 Min, Quotes from Top Providers!