Tennessee Auto Insurance Requirements
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Tennessee Auto Insurance Requirements
Buying auto insurance is a task not many people enjoy. It’s easy to get frustrated trying to figure out what the different types of coverage mean, what is and isn’t covered under each, and how much coverage is required by the state.
The only coverage Tennessee drivers need is liability.
Tennessee auto insurance requirements are fairly uncomplicated. Liability pays the bodily injury and property damage expenses, up to your coverage limits, in the event you’re determined at fault in an accident. You can always purchase higher coverage limits for added protection. However to drive legally in Tennessee you only need liability limits of 25/50/10.
How it adds up
Bodily Injury liability pays claims for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering made by the other people involved in the accident. When minimum limits are chosen, your auto insurer pays up to$25,000 per person and a maximum of $50,000 combined bodily injury expenses per accident, when the accident involves more than one person. The number 10 represents the minimum Property Damage liability Tennessee requires. This means your insurer pays a maximum of $10,000 towards the cost to repair property damaged in the accident, including the other person’s vehicle, and signs, utility poles, etc.
Vehicle’s repair costs not covered
None of this coverage pays your vehicle’s repair costs though. Without optional Collision coverage you’ll have to pay out of pocket if your car is damaged because of an at-fault collision or roll-over. Comprehensive pays repair costs if your car is damaged by theft, weather, animals, earthquakes and other reasons beyond your control.
What happens in a hit and run
If you sustain injuries in a hit and run accident or an accident with an uninsured driver, you won’t be able to make claims against the other driver’s insurance as you normally would. You’ll have to rely on your own bank account to cover your medical expenses. But if you have optional Uninsured Motorist coverage, your insurer will pay your bodily injury related expenses, up to your coverage limits. Optional Underinsured Motorist coverage pays the difference if the at-fault driver has insurance, but it’s not enough to cover all of your claims.
Tennessee Department of Commerce
More information can be found by contacting the Tennessee Department of Commerce at 615-741-2176 or online at http://www.tennessee.gov/commerce/index.shtml.