New Ohio Car Insurance Minimums Take Effect This Month

In just a few weeks, Ohio will no longer have one of the lowest insurance minimums, or coverage limits in the U.S.  This is great news for car accident victims.

Like all states, Ohio requires licensed drivers to maintain certain minimum amounts of liability coverage. Currently, those limits are $12,500 per person injured in an accident, $25,000 for all persons injured in an accident, and $7,500 for property damage caused in an accident. If you are thinking that these insurance minimums seem low, you are right.  Currently, only Florida has lower mandatory bodily injury limits than Ohio.

But beginning December 22, 2013, Ohio will take a step in the right direction as each of the minimum coverage limits are set to rise significantly.

Under Ohio Revised Code Section 4509.20(A), the new minimum liability coverage per person in an accident will double to $25,000. This means that drivers will be required to carry insurance with policy limits of at least $25,000 available to a person injured, or killed, in any one accident.

The new law also doubles the amount of the required minimum total coverage available to all injured persons from $25,000 to $50,000.  This means that if more than one person is injured, the at-fault driver’s policy will provide total coverage up to $50,000 for the various injured persons’ injuries, subject to the $25,000 per person limit.

Lastly, the new required minimum liability coverage for property damage will quadruple from $7,500 to $25,000.  Property damage is injury to, or destruction of, property owned by others.  This would include, for example, damage to other vehicles, fences, and mailboxes.

What the New Insurance Minimums Mean for You

If you, your loved ones, or your property, have been injured as a result of another driver’s negligence, the new insurance minimums make it more likely that you can receive adequate compensation for your injuries.  With rising medical costs, injuries sustained in car accidents all too often cost more than the old $12,500 minimum.  The increased minimum coverage limits mean an increased possibility that the at-fault driver responsible for your injuries will have adequate insurance to pay for those injuries.

If you have any questions about your insurance coverage or insurance law, feel free to call any of the lawyers at Lowe Scott Fisher Co., LPA for a free telephone consultation.