Kentucky Car Insurance Law – Mandatory and Optional Coverage
If you drive a car in Kentucky, you must carry certain insurance coverage by law. If you are pulled over and found not to have the required coverage, or if you get into an accident without insurance, then you will most likely be ticketed for flouting the law, and in the case of an accident, you could be subjected to personal liability far beyond your means to pay. Below is a look at Kentucky car insurance requirements, as well as some additional types of coverage you may want to consider.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – You are required by law to carry $10,000 of PIP insurance. If you are in an accident, your PIP coverage will pay for your medical bills and related expenses, as well as those of your passengers, up to the policy limit. PIP coverage is provided to you without regard to who caused the accident.
Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) – Kentucky requires that you carry BIL coverage of at least $25,000 per person, up to $50,000 per accident if more than one person is injured. BIL coverage pays the medical expenses and other damages of other individuals injured in an accident where you are at fault. Likewise, if you are injured in an accident that is another driver’s fault, you will look to their BIL policy to compensate you for expenses above your own PIP coverage. The 25/50 amount is only the minimum required, and you may want to consider purchasing higher liability coverage to protect your valuable assets in the event you are sued in a car accident.
Property Damage Liability (PDL) – The law requires that you carry at least $10,000 to compensate another driver or property owner when you cause an accident that results in property damage. Again, you may want to purchase more than the minimum amount to protect your assets in the event you cause considerable property damage in an accident.
Uninsured Motorist/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – What if another driver injures you in an accident but is not carrying the required liability insurance, or their minimum amounts do not compensate you for all of your costs? If you have UM/UIM, you can access this coverage to pay for your damages. UM/UIM is not required by law, but it is a good idea and is a relatively inexpensive add-on to your liability coverage. Kentucky ranks twelfth in the nation for uninsured drivers with about one in every six drivers uninsured.
Collision – Collision coverage is not required, but it will pay the costs needed to repair your car after an accident. Choose a coverage amount that will cover the value of your car. You can choose a higher or lower deductible as needed to come up with an affordable monthly premium payment.
Comprehensive – This coverage will pay to repair or replace your vehicle if it gets damaged in some way other than in an accident, such as if it gets stolen or damaged in a hailstorm. Comprehensive coverage is not required by law.
If you have been involved in a car accident in central Kentucky and are not sure how to proceed, contact the experienced accident and injury attorneys at Davis & Haymond, P.S.C., at 859-624-3380 for our Richmond office or 606-726-9991 for our office in Irvine.
