Customers interested in buying Tennessee auto insurance coverage need to understand that the state has adopted the tort system for car insurance purposes. Under this type of system, people who have been injured in a motor vehicle accident have the right to sue to collect damages from the at-fault driver. All drivers in the state are required to have third party liability coverage in place to pay for the medical bills and rehabilitation expenses incurred by the occupants of the other vehicle.
The state has determined that all Tennessee auto insurance buyers must have the following coverage in place:
- $25,000 in bodily injury liability insurance to pay for injuries and damages incurred by one person in an accident
- $50,000 in bodily injury liability coverage to pay for all injuries and damages sustained in the same accident
- $15,000 in property damage coverage to cover the cost of repairs to the other driver’s vehicle and any public property damaged in the accident
Even though state law decrees that all drivers must have liability coverage in place, not all of them comply with the applicable legislation. A driver can choose to add uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to his or her policy, and this is a very savvy move. Uninsured motorist coverage pays for injuries and damages caused by a driver who does not have coverage in place. Underinsured motorist protection is used to increase the level of coverage available when the at-fault driver’s policy can’t cover the level of damages caused.
