Illinois Car Insurance
By law, all Illinois drivers must carry auto insurance. At a minimum, Illinois drivers must have bodily injury liability coverage of $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident and $15,000 for property damage liability. This amount of coverage may be more simply stated as "20/40/15".
UIM Coverage
Illinois drivers must also carry Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist ("UIM") coverage. This coverage is included with an Illinois liability insurance policy and does not need to be purchased separately. The minimum amount of UIM coverage is the same as the minimum liability amounts, 20/40/15. UIM pays for damages when another driver at fault for an accident does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance. This coverage is very important in a serious accident or an accident involving an uninsured at fault driver.
For example, if an Illinois driver in an accident had 20/40/15 UIM coverage, he or she would be able to make a UIM claim with their auto insurance company and be able to receive up to $20,000 for bodily injury damages, be covered up to $40,000 in total UIM damages for the accident, and $15,000 for property damage, in the event that at fault driver was uninsured or did not have enough insurance.
Optional Insurance Coverage Types
Other important coverage types in Illinois include Personal Injury Protection ("PIP"), collision, and comprehensive. PIP is no fault coverage that pays for medical bills following an accident for the insured and vehicle passengers. It is the primary form of medical coverage. Once PIP has been exhausted, the insured can use their health insurance for any additional accident related medical bills.
Collision and Comprehensive Coverage
Collision and comprehensive coverage may not be required by Illinois law but many financial institutions require vehicle owners to purchase them as a condition of their loans. They both can be very important in protecting your vehicle's value and covering repairs in the event of an accident.
Collision pays for vehicle repairs or vehicle replacement value following a collision regardless of fault. Comprehensive coverage pays for all vehicle repair damage or replacement value for incidents other than a collision such as the tree falling on a car or the car being stolen. There are minimum deductible limits for these collision and comprehensive such as $500, but drivers can also raise their deductible amounts to lower their premiums.
Know When Your Auto Insurance Policy Lapses
It is important that Illinois drivers know when their auto insurance policy expires to avoid a coverage lapse. Without auto insurance, Illinois drivers can be fined and forced to comply with financial responsibility laws and have to purchase expensive SR–22 Insurance. Also in Illinois, an uninsured driver can be personally held responsible for all damage caused in an accident. Some accidents involve hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.
Driving without car insurance in Illinois is fiscally irresponsible and could lead to financial ruin. Smart Illinois drivers carry auto insurance. Illinois drivers would be well advised to purchase additional insurance coverage beyond the minimum limits.
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