Updated May 2026
What Is Bodily Injury Liability Insurance?
Bodily Injury Liability pays for injuries you cause to other people in an accident where you're at fault. The coverage pays medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and legal defense if the injured party sues. Limits are expressed as two numbers: the first is the maximum paid per person injured, the second is the maximum paid per accident regardless of how many people are hurt. A 50/100 policy pays up to $50,000 per person and $100,000 total per accident.
- You rear-end a car at a stoplight while driving to dialysis. The other driver has $18,000 in medical bills and $6,000 in lost wages. Their passenger has $9,000 in medical bills. Your 50/100 Bodily Injury Liability pays the driver's $24,000 total and the passenger's $9,000 — $33,000 total. Without this coverage, you would owe both amounts personally, and the injured parties could sue to collect from your assets.
- You run a red light on a permitted medical-purposes trip and hit another vehicle. Three occupants are injured: $45,000, $30,000, and $15,000 in medical costs. Your 50/100 policy pays $50,000 to the first person (the per-person cap), $30,000 to the second, and $15,000 to the third — but stops at the $100,000 per-accident limit. The first person is still owed $5,000 out of pocket unless you carry higher limits.
How Much Does Bodily Injury Liability Insurance Cost?
Bodily Injury Liability at state minimum levels typically adds $35–$65/month to your premium. Medical-hardship SR-22 filers often pay $60–$110/month for 50/100 limits due to the suspended-license risk surcharge carriers apply during the restricted-permit period.
- Your underlying suspension cause — DUI, multiple violations, and at-fault accidents increase rates more than administrative suspensions.
- State-required minimum limits — hardship permits in some states require 50/100 or 100/300 limits instead of the standard 25/50 minimum, doubling the base cost.
- SR-22 filing requirement — the filing itself adds $15–$35/year, but the combined suspended-license and high-risk driver profile increases liability premiums 40–120%.
- Driving record during hardship period — a single additional violation while on a medical-hardship permit can trigger non-renewal or rate increases of 30–60%.
- Age and claims history — older medical-hardship applicants (dialysis patients, oncology patients) with clean prior records may qualify for lower rates than younger suspended drivers with multiple violations.
- Geographic location — urban areas with higher accident rates and medical costs see higher Bodily Injury Liability premiums than rural counties, but rural applicants may face higher non-standard market rates overall due to fewer carrier options.
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Who Needs Bodily Injury Liability Insurance?
You must carry Bodily Injury Liability if you hold a medical-hardship license — it is part of the SR-22 filing your state requires to reinstate restricted driving privileges. You should carry limits higher than the state minimum if you own assets (a home, savings, retirement accounts) that could be seized in a lawsuit after an at-fault accident. Most financial advisors recommend 100/300 or 250/500 limits for anyone with net worth above $50,000.
Your only decision is the limit amount. Carry state-required minimums if you have no assets and need the lowest possible premium to afford the hardship permit. Increase to 100/300 if you own a home or have retirement savings — the $15–$30/month cost difference is cheaper than a single lawsuit that exceeds your limits. If you are a caregiver driving a dependent to chemotherapy or dialysis and cannot afford to lose your permit, consider 250/500 limits to reduce the risk of an uncovered claim triggering financial stress that prevents you from maintaining required coverage.