Washington D.C. 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. Uninsured motorist bodily injury ($25,000/$50,000 limit) and uninsured motorist property damage ($5,000 limit) are also required. Check with your auto insurance company to understand the details of coverage 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.

Uninsured motorist bodily injury/property damage: 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. The property damage coverage circumstantially is the same, but covers repairs for physical property damage instead of bodily injury.

Although you are not required to carry collision or comprehensive collision by the state, 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. If you do not own your car outright, your financial institution carrying your loan may require this coverage.

DC operates under a no-fault system, meaning the medical expenses of an individual’s injuries are the responsibility of that same individual’s auto insurance company, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. In other words, each person pays for their own medical expense. However, the driver at fault can be solely responsible for repairs of all vehicles and/or property damaged.

Always carry proof of your auto insurance. When pulled over for a traffic stop, the officer will request this proof of auto insurance. Failure to have this proof will result in a citation.

Washington DC Auto Insurance Requirement Chart:

• Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
• Property Damage Coverage: $10,000 Limit
• Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
• Uninsured Motorist Property Damage: $5,000 Limit subject to $200 deductible

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