Each state, including West Virginia, sets minimum auto insurance requirements to protect the rights of people who are injured in accidents caused by unsafe drivers. However, the minimum auto insurance may not fully cover the damages from a serious accident—especially when it results in a permanent disability.
Minimum Car Insurance Coverage Amounts for West Virginia
If you cause an accident, your car insurance—the bodily injury and property damage liability coverage—will pay for the medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage incurred by those hurt in the crash, up to the limits of your policy. If an uninsured or underinsured driver is responsible for an accident that injured you or others in your vehicle, your uninsured or underinsured motorist bodily injury and property damage liability coverage will pay for your crash-related expenses up to your policy limits.
The minimum car insurance coverage requirements for West Virginia drivers are:
- Bodily injury liability - $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
- Property damage liability - $25,000 per accident
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury - $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
- Uninsured motorist property damage - $25,000 per accident
- Underinsured motorist bodily injury - $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
- Underinsured motorist property damage - $25,000 per accident
Note that the underinsured motorist coverage can be rejected in writing if a driver wishes to do so, but it must be automatically offered as an option for all policies sold within the state.
The state does not require drivers to carry collision (insurance to replace or repair your car if it’s damaged in a collision) or comprehensive coverage (insurance to replace or repair your car if it’s stolen or damaged by vandalism, storms, falling objects, or collisions with a deer or other animal). However, if a vehicle is purchased with a loan, the lender may require this type of insurance as part of the loan agreement.
Reasons for Increasing Your Insurance Coverage
If you cause a serious accident that exceeds the limits of your insurance policy, the driver is legally allowed to seek additional compensation from your personal assets. Since West Virginia is a modified comparative negligence state, the other driver could sue you for damages as long as he or she was less than 50% at fault for the accident.
You should also consider carrying more than the minimum insurance requirements to protect yourself from damages caused by underinsured drivers. Since most people who are driving with only the minimum insurance have few personal assets, it’s difficult to recover damages in this type of case. Relying on your own underinsured motorist coverage is the best way to protect yourself.
How We Can Help
The Nestor Law Office serves West Virginia residents who’ve been injured due to the negligence of others. We can help you receive the maximum possible compensation for your car accident injuries, including reimbursement for medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. Call today to schedule a free, no-obligation initial consultation.
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