Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

Hello all,

Hoping you might be able to offer some general advice (as I know these things differ state to state) on car insurance. I moved over a few weeks ago and need to insure myself to drive my husband's old car. The car still runs well but is old and has no real value anymore so he suggested getting liability only as opposed to comprehensive insurance. I've been looking at how liability insurance works and am unsure on a few things:

1) If liability insurance only covers bodily injury and property damage for the other driver, should my medical insurance cover my own bodily injuries if I require it?
2) What is a good amount of liability coverage to get? I've read online that insurers recommend a combined coverage of $500K across bodily injury and property damage, but I've received quotes as low as $25k/$50k/$50k (BI per person/BI per accident/Property damage). I don't know if I'd be a fool to go with something as low as that when the recommendations suggest a much higher coverage.

I'm sure it really boils down to a case of "go with what you think you'll need based on your own personal driving history and income etc" but I was just wondering what you guys typically tend to go for in terms of coverage.

Thank in advance for any help! It's all appreciated! :)

Re: Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

Is the car currently uninsured? And if so, does your husband have an existing insurance policy he can add it to? And also add your name so the policy is on both names? In the US it is usually the vehicle that is insured, as opposed to the driver.

Re: Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

Sounds like he has another vehicle? Add it to that?

And add a 0 to those limits.

Re: Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

Hello,

The car is currently not being driven so is basically being insured as a still, non-operating vehicle but he can put liability on it and add me as an authorized driver. I have a feeling that his policy covers for state minimum on the liability which would make it $25k BI, $50k total injury per accident and then $25k property. That feels low to me but I just wondered what other people think. If it helps, hoping to not jinx anything, I was a good driver back home and never made any claims in the ten years I was driving. Though I suppose it’s one of those things where other drivers come into play when it comes to accidents.

Re: Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

What is the limit now in the UK, GBP10 million?

Re: Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

Did you get any answers on your post from December 10, 2019 on this subject? I know there were quite a few posters. https://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-...rivals-929747/

Why not just call or visit with your husband's current auto insurance agent and speak with them about liability. Your state might want more than liability, and if he owns a home he is very underinsured. You will be driving the car for a while on a foreign license and on the right side of the road, instead of the left, so that will take getting use to.

Since your husband doesn't appear to have much knowledge of auto insurance and required coverage, go to the source to get your answers.

Re: Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

Liability coverage is going to depend on your assets. If you have more assets then you need more insurance to protect those assets. We have 2 cars and a house so we have reasonable coverage on the 2 cars and the house, then we have umbrella insurance that bumps the coverage up +++
If you are injured and it's your fault, then yes, your medical insurance is going to cover your care but that in itself has a cost that could be high.
As Nutmegger says, it's the car that's insured so if you're driving an old banger, there's probably not much point paying out for fully comp cover. Just put some money aside to cover repairs just in case.

Re: Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

Thank for the advice guys.

It's a tricky situation in that my husband, as much as I love him, has been spoiled and has had his cars insured on his family's shared insurance plan up until now (more cars on the policy, less cost sort of situation). Now I'm here we've agreed that it's time to change that and separate from the family to have our own. As such, he knows about as much as I do about car insurance so he's not much help in figuring this stuff out. He can add me to the policy as an approved driver but that's about as far as his knowledge extends. Also puts me in a difficult position as I can't contact his insurance provider as it's not just his policy, but his whole family's and I can't go sticking my nose where it doesn't belong.

It has been brought to my attention in the last hour that the car I will be driving currently belongs to my mother-in-law (my husband was driving the car before he purchased his current one) and so we actually need to have the owner changed on that car before we can break away from the family insurance plan, so until that happens it looks like I'll be cleared to drive the car as an approved driver on state minimum on their family insurance. Not what I'd like but I have no say over the policy and its coverage and I desperately need to start driving.

I'm a real stickler for not relying on people if I can help it, so I'm researching into what sort of policy my husband and I could get in a month or so when the car owner is switched. My husband is far less cautious than I am when it comes to insurance, so he seems quite happy to let me drive around on the state minimum and as it currently stands but that doesn't sit right with me. I'm too accustomed to the UK insurance policies and the whole not having to worry about healthcare/getting sued thing!

Thanks again for all of the advice guys, I really appreciate it.

Re: Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

Oh gosh, I thought I'd responded to this but I've just read through the thread and couldn't see my reply! Fudge up on my part, I'll head over there now. Thank you for the heads up!

Re: Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

Seems odd that they would just have State minimums which basically just makes you legal.

Re: Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

State minimum insurance is for those on minimum wage, students driving jalopies, and habitual drunks - it's better than driving around uninsured, but not by much.

If your liability insurance for personal injury is $25,000, and you cause a wreck that injures someone, you can pretty much assume that you will be sued, as $25,000 doesn't buy much medical treatment and/or post-injury therapy. Then there is damages for pain and suffering on top.

Re: Liability Car Insurance Recommendations
 

Depends what assets the family have. But, yeah, if they have more than minimal assets then it's really foolish. Ditto for the OP and her husband moving forward.