What Are the Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements in North Carolina?
North Carolina sets minimum requirements for insurance which must be met to register a vehicle:
• $25,000 for property damage
• $30,000 coverage cap for bodily injury liability for each person injured
• $60,000 coverage cap for bodily injury liability when two or more people are injured
Bodily injury coverage does not apply to the driver’s own injuries in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist. To cover oneself, additional insurance such as uninsured motorist bodily injury insurance or MedPay Protection is required.That’s why it’s important to have lots of UM/UIM coverage.
Underinsured or Uninsured Driver Insurance in North Carolina
In North Carolina the insurance of the driver at fault in the accident is supposed to pay for damages. This could leave an injured party who is not at fault without adequate resources if they are in a collision with a driver who has insufficient coverage, or no insurance at all.
Some insurers require customers to carry underinsured motorist coverage. Every insurer in North Carolina requires drivers to carry coverage against the possibility of uninsured motorists.
Underinsured motorist coverage is comprised of bodily injury and property damage. An uninsured motorist policy covers your losses, and not those of the other driver; the policy is not subject to the no-fault rules.
You may purchase uninsured bodily injury and property coverage in the same amounts as the general policy or up to a $1 million limit. However, the uninsured driver property damage coverage cannot exceed the amount of your underlying coverage.
If you wish to increase the basic policy limits, you will need to purchase a combined uninsured motorist bodily injury and property policy. Drivers with multiple automobile policies may be able to combine them.
Adequate Insurance is Vital for North Carolina Drivers
The most recent report of North Carolina’s Depart of Transportation revealed that fatalities on the state’s roads continue to increase because of distracted driving and speeding. Now more than ever, adequate insurance is vital for North Carolina drivers.
The attorneys of Rhine Law Firm, P.C. have served N.C. for decades representing clients injured in Wilmington auto accidents. The state has complex insurance rules and options. If you’ve been hurt in a crash, we can help you determine how your insurance policy applies and what compensation is available from the other driver’s insurance. We can negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf to protect you against lowball settlement offers and to help you recover the maximum damages you are owed.
Reach out to the Wilmington personal injury attorneys at Rhine Law Firm for a free consultation.
