Illinois law requires every driver to carry auto insurance before operating a vehicle on public roadways. These requirements primarily exist to ensure that car accident victims in Chicago have a source of financial recovery when a negligent driver causes a crash. If you’ve been involved in a car accident in Illinois, knowing how the state’s insurance framework works is key to knowing what compensation may be available to you.
Continue reading to learn about Illinois’s mandatory coverage types for car insurance and how they can factor into a personal injury case.
Mandatory Liability Coverage
Per the Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/7-603), all drivers must carry liability insurance with minimum limits of 25/50/20. Here’s what those numbers mean in practice:
- $25,000 in bodily injury liability per person, covering the damages the at-fault driver’s insurer will pay for any one person injured in the crash
- $50,000 in bodily injury liability per accident, which caps the total payout for all injuries combined in a single collision
- $20,000 in property damage liability per accident, covering repairs for another person’s property
Liability insurance only covers the other party’s losses. It does not pay for the at-fault driver’s own injuries and vehicle damage.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Illinois also requires drivers to purchase uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UM). The minimum limits mirror the liability requirements at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. This coverage cannot be waived.
Uninsured motorist coverage protects you when the driver who caused your accident has no insurance at all. With an estimated 15 percent of Illinois drivers uninsured, this coverage serves as an important safety net. However, note that the mandatory version only covers bodily injury, not property damage to your vehicle.
How Can These Limits Affect a Personal Injury Claim?
The at-fault driver’s insurance limits can play a major role in determining how much compensation is realistically available after an accident. Illinois is an at-fault state, which means the person who caused the crash is financially responsible for the other party’s damages. In practice, that responsibility is usually handled through the at-fault driver’s liability policy.
The problem is that the state minimums often fall short. For instance, a single serious injury can generate medical expenses well beyond $25,000, and a multi-vehicle accident with several injured parties can exceed the $50,000 per-accident cap in a hurry. If the other driver’s policy limits aren’t enough to cover your losses in a crash that wasn’t your fault, you may need to explore other options, such as additional insurance and/or filing a lawsuit.
Optional Coverages Worth Exploring
Beyond the state-mandated minimums, several optional coverages can affect your financial recovery after an accident:
- Underinsured motorist coverage fills the gap when the at-fault driver’s policy limits aren’t enough to cover your full damages
- Medical payments coverage helps cover your own medical expenses after an accident, regardless of who caused it
- Collision coverage pays for repairs to your own vehicle after a crash, regardless of fault
- Comprehensive coverage protects against non-collision events like theft, vandalism, and weather damage
Drivers who are financing a vehicle will typically be required by their lender to carry collision and comprehensive coverage on top of the state minimums.
Contact an Illinois Car Accident Lawyer With Meyers & Flowers
Illinois’s car insurance requirements set the floor for what drivers must carry, but the minimums don’t always match what a severe accident costs. If you’ve been injured in a crash and the other driver’s coverage falls short, there may still be avenues for recovering the full value of your damages.
Schedule a free consultation with Meyers & Flowers today at (630) 576-9696 to get started. We can advise you on your best course of action at that time.