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What Is the Difference Between Bodily Injury and Personal Injury?
While you may hear bodily injury and personal injury used interchangeably, they have very different meanings when used in an insurance or legal context.
Knowing the differences is crucial when dealing with a personal injury claim or purchasing insurance coverage.
Bodily Injury
Bodily injury refers only to physical harm sustained to a person's body.
Common bodily injuries could include cuts, bruises, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, or any other physical injuries.
Bodily injury is often used in criminal cases or auto insurance policies, such as "bodily injury liability coverage".
Personal Injury
Personal injury refers to all harm a person suffers, including physical, emotional, mental, and financial losses.
The term "personal injury" is commonly used in personal injury cases such as motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice lawsuits, wrongful death cases, or any other insurance claims where a person suffered physical, emotional, mental, and/or monetary losses, such as medical bills or lost wages.
Bodily Injury Liability Coverage vs Personal Injury Protection
In the world of auto insurance, bodily injury liability insurance and personal injury protection are two very different things.
Knowing the differences is crucial, so you don't make mistakes when purchasing insurance coverage.
What Is Bodily Injury Liability Coverage
Bodily injury liability coverage is a type of insurance coverage that covers expenses resulting from injuries you cause to others in an accident.
Bodily injury coverage can often fully pay for the other party's medical expenses, lost wages, and potential legal costs.
In the U.S., a bodily injury car insurance policy is a legal requirement in almost every state.
What Is Personal Injury Protection
Personal injury protection (PIP) is an insurance coverage option that covers your medical expenses following an accident, regardless of fault.
Personal injury protection is also referred to as "no-fault" insurance, as it's only legally required in no-fault states.
Should You Get Both Bodily and Personal Injury Insurance Coverage?
Having both bodily injury liability coverage and personal injury protection is highly recommended if it's within your financial means.
Depending on your state laws, bodily injury liability coverage and personal injury protection may be a legal requirement, meaning you have to add both to your insurance policy in order to be able to drive on public roads legally.
How Much Personal Injury Protection Insurance Do I Need
The amount of personal injury protection you need depends on your state's laws; however, the average typically ranges from $2,500 to $50,000.
You'll only need to factor in how much personal injury protection insurance you need to drive if you live in a no-fault state where it's legally required, such as Florida, Michigan, or New York.
However, it's good to understand that you should often obtain more than the legally required amount of personal injury protection, unless you have strong health insurance, as medical expenses can create a severe financial impact if you're not adequately covered.
How Much Bodily Injury Liability Coverage Do You Need
Like PIP coverage amounts, the amount of bodily injury liability coverage you need in order to drive depends on your state's laws.
States that require bodily injury insurance often set split value coverage requirements like $25,000/$50,000, which means:
- $25,000 per person injured in an accident
- $50,000 total for all injuries in a single accident
Again, like PIP coverage amounts, the minimum is often not enough. In serious car accidents, the expenses may exceed your bodily injury coverage, leaving you personally responsible for the excess costs.
To avoid being left personally responsible for expenses resulting from a car accident, obtaining the expert-recommended bodily injury liability coverage amount of $100,000/$300,000 is recommended. To understand how this may apply to you, talk with your state insurance agent.
Bodily Injury Coverage Requirements in Nevada
Nevada is one of the many states that require drivers to have bodily injury coverage to drive on public roads.
Under NRS 485.185, the bodily injury coverage requirements are 25/50/20, which is:
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in any one accident
- $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more persons in any one accident
- $20,000 for property damage per accident
Operating a vehicle on Nevada public roads without the minimum insurance requirements could result in license suspension or fines.
Can a Lawyer Help Me If Personal Protection or Bodily Injury Coverage Doesn't Fully Cover Damages
Receiving assistance from an experienced attorney can help you obtain the fair compensation or mitigation of financial damages you otherwise wouldn't receive through just a personal protection or bodily injury insurance claim.
Experienced attorneys, such as the ones at The Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm, have years of experience in personal injury claims and can help you cover any remaining damages by identifying other liable parties in the car accident, filing a personal injury lawsuit, negotiating with the insurance company, and correctly tapping into underinsured/uninsured coverage.
To receive free legal advice on how you can cover excess damages, schedule a free consultation with our Las Vegas personal injury law firm by calling (702) 566-3600.
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Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer is a Las Vegas personal injury law firm with over 20 years of experience helping clients obtain maximum compensation following injuries from accidents such as car crashes, worksite injuries, and slips and falls. Over those years, The Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm has become an experienced law firm that can ensure exceptional results for any of its clients.
