How Much Car Insurance Coverage Do I Need in Washington State?

Like every other state in the U.S., Washington State requires drivers to carry a certain amount of car insurance coverage. Keep reading to learn how much coverage Washingtonians are required to carry and additional options that may be right for you.

Mandatory Minimum Coverage

According to the Washington State Department of Licensing, if you are required to register your vehicle in Washington State, you need to have a policy that has at least these minimum coverage limits:

• Bodily Injury Liability (BIL)
  • This coverage will pay for the damages resulting from a person being injured in a crash that’s your fault.
    • $25,000 maximum coverage for the bodily injury liability or death of one person in any one accident.
    • $50,000 maximum combined coverage for the bodily injury liability or death for any one accident for all injured parties.
• Property Damage Liability (PDL)
  • This coverage will pay for the damages to the other car if you’re to blame for an accident.
    • $10,000 maximum coverage for damage to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.

You should evaluate and carefully consider if the state mandatory minimums are adequate to provide the level of coverage that you need. You can purchase policies with higher limits, which provide greater coverage, in case you are in an accident that causes more damage than the state mandatory minimum.

Additional Coverage Options

There are several additional coverage options available. It may be wise to add some additional coverage if it makes sense for your situation. The following are some additional coverage options that may be beneficial to your policy:

• Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
  • This coverage will pay for your and your passengers’ medical expenses after a wreck. This coverage may also pay for your lost wages if you lose time at work as a result of your injuries.
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
  • This coverage will help pay for the costs if someone without insurance or minimal coverage hits you.
• Collision
  • This coverage will pay for the repairs to your vehicle after a crash, regardless of who is at fault. There may be a deductible involved.
• Comprehensive
  • This coverage pays if your vehicle is stolen or damaged outside of an accident. There may be a deductible involved.
• GAP Policies
  • GAP policies cover financed vehicles in the event that your car is declared a total loss and the value of your vehicle is less than the balance of your loan. This helps to protect you from owing additional money on a loan if your vehicle is declared a total loss.
• Umbrella Policies
  • If you are a homeowner or have additional assets to protect, you can purchase an umbrella policy that has additional coverage available if you exhaust the coverage of your auto policy.

Speak to an Agent

It’s best to speak with an agent to evaluate the appropriate coverage limits for your lifestyle, family, & assets.

You will want to consider:

• Whether you have insurance coverage available for your injuries if you or any of your loved ones are injured in a car accident.
• Whether you want to have or need to have coverage for your vehicle if it is damaged in any way.
• Whether you believe the state-mandated limits are sufficient to protect your assets if you are responsible for a crash that causes a large amount of damage.
• Whether you can financially recover or even get by day to day if you are in a collision with a driver without insurance or in case of an event that damages your car other than a car accident.
• How an accident or crash might affect you if you did not have enough coverage for your vehicle or your injuries.

You will want to make sure that you are buying the policies and coverage options that will give you the protection that you need so that you will not be at risk if you cause an accident and have help available to you if you are in an accident that is not your fault.

Regardless of your situation, it’s in your best interest to discuss your needs and options with an agent to decide what’s best for your individual circumstances.

If you’ve been involved in an injury-sustaining car accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Our attorney, James "Jim" Dore, Jr., here at Dore Law Group, PLLC is highly skilled in the area of car accident personal injury law and has helped many other people just like you receive the compensation they deserved. Let our team see if we can help you, too. Don’t delay—contact our office with your case right away.

Give our Kent personal injury attorney at Dore Law Group, PLLC a call today at (253) 236-3888 to discuss your case.