We get this question a lot. The fact is that state minimum levels of car insurance are not adequate. There’s a common misconception that by carrying state minimum limits you save yourself money and you don’t have to worry about other drivers hitting you because they have their own insurance. However, if everyone carries minimum insurance, then the coverage available is the bare minimum if you’re involved in a serious accident.
We run into this situation quite often. Usually it involves a young driver, maybe a teenager who is a passenger in a vehicle, and the vehicle he’s driving is owned by another teenager. The parents decided to give their teenage child state minimum limits to avoid higher costs insurance premiums. Unfortunately, when the teenager gets seriously injured in an accident, they have to go against their parents’ car insurance policy to get additional coverage. Often, the parents also don’t carry more than the state minimum required. For this reason, the injured teen will likely be stuck with the minimum insurance coverage available.
In Virginia, the state minimum limits are $25,000.00 per person and $50,000.00 per accident. This is not enough to cover medical bills and treatment, if you are seriously injured. Take the time to get a new quote from your insurance agent. You will be pleasantly surprised at how cheap it is to add better coverage to your car insurance policy. Also, consider getting yourself extra benefits such as med pay. You won’t regret this decision.