If you live in Connecticut and you own a vehicle, you’ll need to carry insurance. State law sets minimum requirements that all drivers must meet, but it can be in your best interest to purchase additional coverage.
What Connecticut Law Requires
All Connecticut drivers must have liability coverage. If you or someone who is driving your car with your permission causes an accident, the liability portion of your auto insurance policy will cover bodily injury or property damage that someone else experiences as a result of the collision. You’ll need to have at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage and $25,000 per accident in personal property liability coverage.
You’ll also be required to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. That will cover bodily injury if you, a passenger, or a family member who lives with you gets hit by a driver who is uninsured or who has an amount of bodily injury liability coverage that’s less than the amount of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage that you have. This coverage can also kick in if you or someone who is using your car with your permission gets injured by a hit-and-run driver. You’ll need a minimum of $25,000 in coverage per person and at least $50,000 per accident.
Why You Might Want to Purchase Additional Coverage
These requirements are just the bare minimums that Connecticut law requires. If you’re involved in a serious accident, whether it’s caused by you or someone else, the bills might be much higher than those amounts.
If you cause an accident that seriously injures someone or causes major property damage and you don’t have enough liability coverage to pay the bills, the other person can sue you. You might lose valuable assets, including your home.
If you get hit by another driver and you’re seriously injured, the medical bills might be staggering. If the other motorist doesn’t have adequate coverage, or any coverage at all, your uninsured/uninsured motorist coverage can help, but the minimum amounts that Connecticut law requires might not be enough to pay all your bills.
Other types of auto insurance coverage are available. For example, collision coverage can apply if your car gets damaged when you hit another car or an object. Comprehensive coverage can help if your car gets damaged by something else, such as vandalism, a storm, a falling object, or an accident involving an animal.
Get Quotes for Auto Insurance
A member of the team at Petruzelo Insurance can tell you more about Connecticut’s minimum car insurance requirements, as well as other types of coverage that are available, and help you select a policy that suits your needs. We can get quotes from several leading insurers and help you find the protection you need at a rate that fits your budget. Contact us today to learn more.