{"id":418,"date":"2022-11-07T22:27:15","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T22:27:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/?page_id=418"},"modified":"2023-01-13T20:59:49","modified_gmt":"2023-01-13T20:59:49","slug":"california-liability-insurance","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/car-insurance-quotes-online\/california-liability-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"Liability Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In most states, liability insurance is the minimum requirement for drivers to have. Despite this, most drivers don\u2019t know enough about what liability insurance is and what exactly it covers. And it\u2019s very important to know about this when driving in the state of California.<\/p>\n

By\u00a0understanding more about liability insurance<\/a>\u00a0in California, you can find the best insurance policy for you and your lifestyle. Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about liability insurance!<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n\n

Understanding Liability Insurance in California<\/h2>\n
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Our guide is going to walk you through the most important facts about your liability insurance. But we need to start with the most basic question: what, exactly, is liability insurance?<\/p>\n

Simply put, liability insurance is designed to protect others in the event you are at fault for a car accident. If you end up causing any bodily damage or property damage, your liability insurance will help pay for those damages.<\/p>\n

Liability insurance is the\u00a0required minimum<\/a>\u00a0for all drivers for most states, including California. That means if you are in a car accident and someone else is at fault, then their own liability insurance will help pay for damages to you or your property.<\/p>\n

In order to fully understand how liability insurance works, it\u2019s important to know how fault works and how fault is determined.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n\n

Who Is at Fault If There Is an Accident in California?<\/h2>\n
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Because fault determines who pays what after a car accident, it\u2019s important to know who was at fault. But how do we determine fault after a car accident occurs?<\/p>\n

In some cases, it may be a clear-cut<\/span> matter. If you or the other driver knows who is at fault, then it will be very easy to\u00a0process the insurance claim<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If it is not clear cut, though, then it will be up to the authorities to determine fault. The relevant authorities that will weigh in on this matter include police who arrive on the scene, adjusters for the insurance company, and the court of law.<\/p>\n

While the courts would have the final say, most cases never make it that far. And that is because different insurance companies have their own rules that help determine fault. For the most part, that means you are only going to court if you or the other driver wish to dispute the findings of the insurance company.<\/p>\n

Because the insurance company plays such a major part, the role of an insurance adjuster is very important. The adjusters for each insurance company will review evidence ranging from police and witness statements to medical reports and photos of the damaged vehicles.<\/p>\n

If you do end up taking the matter to court, keep in mind that the court can effectively override previous findings. In other words, even if the police and the insurance companies are certain one party is at fault, a court may potentially make a different ruling.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n\n

Determining the Level of Fault in California<\/h2>\n
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You may think of fault as an \u201call or nothing\u201d determination. But different states have different categories of fault. These categories help determine how much you or the other driver were at fault for a car accident. And the level of fault may determine the monetary amount of damages you can receive.<\/p>\n

The first type of fault is Pure Contributory Negligence. In states that use this system, you cannot receive any damages if you were partially at fault (no matter how small that partial amount may be).<\/p>\n

The second type of fault is Pure Comparative Fault. Under this system, the damages a party can receive are reduced based on how much they were at fault.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n\n

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The final type of fault is Modified Comparative Fault. Only 33 states use this system, but they don\u2019t all use it in the same way. Of these states, 12 use a 50% bar rule that says that a party cannot receive damages if they were at least 50% at fault. The other 21 states use a 51% bar rule that says a party cannot receive damages if they were at least 51% at fault.<\/p>\n

Why the difference between the states? With the 50% bar rule, it is possible for two people to get in an accident and be equally at fault. In that case, neither person\u2019s insurance will pay out. The 51% rule makes it easier to determine who is more negligent and ultimately makes it easier for insurance to pay out after an accident.<\/p>\n

In California, you can collect damages even if you are mostly at fault. But the degree to which you were at fault reduces how much compensation you can receive.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n\n

What Liability Insurance Covers in California<\/h2>\n
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Now you know a bit more about the role that fault plays in your insurance. But do you know what your liability insurance is designed to cover?<\/p>\n

While we generally refer to it as one thing, \u201cliability insurance\u201d refers to\u00a0two types of coverage<\/a>. The first type is property damage liability coverage, and the second is bodily injury liability coverage.<\/p>\n

Property damage liability is designed to pay for property damages you may cause with your car. This includes damage to other vehicles as well as damage to structures like fences and mailboxes.<\/p>\n

Bodily injury liability is designed to pay for the injuries you cause to another person with your car. This can help pay for things like medical expenses.<\/p>\n

For both kinds of liability coverage, the insurance company will only pay out to whatever your policy specifies. If there are costs beyond that (such as additional medical bills for the other party when you are at fault), then you will need to pay them out of pocket.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n\n

What Liability Insurance Will Not Cover in California<\/h2>\n
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In most states (including California), liability insurance is the minimum insurance that drivers must have. But it\u2019s important to get more than the minimum required insurance because there are certain things liability insurance just won\u2019t cover.<\/p>\n

For example, your own liability insurance does not offer any coverage for your vehicle. If someone else is at fault in an accident, their own liability insurance will help pay for damages. But if you get collision insurance, this pays for repairs no matter who was at fault (including scenarios where you accidentally damage your vehicle and no other parties are involved).<\/p>\n

Similarly, liability insurance does not protect your car from things like theft, vandalism, weather, and falling trees. If you want coverage for these things, then you need to take out comprehensive insurance.<\/p>\n

If you want enhanced coverage for medical bills and even funeral expenses, you can take out MedPay or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. These plans are popular because they also help cover your family as well as passengers in your vehicle.<\/p>\n

Finally, you may be worried about other drivers either not having enough liability coverage or not having insurance at all. If that\u2019s the case, you might consider taking out underinsured motorist coverage as well as uninsured motorist coverage.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n\n

Why Get More Than Liability Insurance?<\/h2>\n
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We have reviewed the\u00a0different types of insurance<\/a>\u00a0out there. However, additional insurance plans will result in a higher insurance premium. So you may be asking yourself why it would be worth it to take out more than the minimum required coverage and effectively increase your monthly bill.<\/p>\n

The short answer is that you never know what is going to happen with a car accident in California. If you are found at fault and only have liability insurance, then you will receive no money to pay for repairs. If the damage is bad enough or your car is totaled, then you would no longer have a way to travel to work or drive around town.<\/p>\n

Additionally, you may consider the relative safety of where you live. If you are in a high-crime<\/span> area, you should consider comprehensive insurance to help protect against theft and vandalism. And if you are in an area that receives extreme weather, that same insurance will protect you from things like falling hail.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n\n

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