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Bodily Injury Liability Coverage — Louisiana

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Louisiana Requires Bodily Injury Liability on Every Policy

You insure two or more vehicles in Louisiana, and you need to confirm whether bodily injury liability is optional or mandatory. Louisiana law requires bodily injury liability coverage on every registered vehicle. The state minimum is $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident. No vehicle can be registered or legally driven without it.

This requirement applies to every car on your policy. When you add a second or third vehicle, each one must carry at least the state minimum. The coverage protects other people when you cause an accident that injures them. It does not cover your own injuries or your passengers — that is what personal injury protection or medical payments coverage does, and Louisiana does not mandate either.

“The $30,000 per-accident cap is shared among all injured parties, and one serious crash can exhaust it.”

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$15,000 / $30,000

Louisiana Bodily Injury Minimum

Louisiana Revised Statutes require $15,000 coverage per person injured and $30,000 per accident. Every vehicle registered in the state must meet this floor before the Office of Motor Vehicles issues or renews registration.

Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles

The State Minimum Splits Thin Across Multiple Injured Parties

The $30,000 per-accident cap is the total your insurer pays for all bodily injuries in one crash, regardless of how many people are hurt. If you cause an accident that injures three people, the $30,000 is divided among them. One person cannot receive more than $15,000, but the combined payout to all injured parties cannot exceed $30,000.

This structure creates exposure for households with multiple vehicles. A single at-fault accident involving serious injuries to several people can exhaust the $30,000 cap quickly. Medical bills, lost wages, and pain-and-suffering claims often exceed the minimum. When they do, the injured parties can pursue your personal assets to recover the difference.

The decision hinges on what you own and what you stand to lose in a lawsuit that exceeds the state minimum.

The $30,000 per-accident cap is shared among all injured parties. One serious crash involving multiple people can exhaust it and expose your household to personal liability.

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Multi-Vehicle Households Face Higher Exposure

Households with two or more vehicles put more cars on the road, which increases the statistical likelihood of an at-fault accident. When one driver in the household causes a crash that injures multiple people, the $30,000 per-accident cap applies regardless of how many vehicles you insure. The cap does not increase because you own more cars.

Raising your bodily injury limits protects the household's combined assets. If you own a home, retirement accounts, or other property, those assets are at risk in a lawsuit that exceeds your liability coverage. Higher limits cost more per month, but the incremental premium is typically smaller than the financial exposure a single serious accident creates.

Carriers writing multi-vehicle policies in Louisiana include State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Allstate, Farmers, USAA, Liberty Mutual, Travelers, and National General. Each offers bodily injury limits above the state minimum.

11.7%

Louisiana Uninsured Motorist Rate

11.7% of Louisiana motorists drove without insurance in 2023. When an uninsured driver hits you, your uninsured motorist coverage pays your injuries — but bodily injury liability does not help you in that scenario. It only pays the other party when you are at fault.

Insurance Research Council, 2023

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Bodily Injury Liability Does Not Cover Your Own Injuries

Bodily injury liability pays the other party's costs when you cause the accident. It does not pay your medical bills, your passengers' injuries, or your lost wages. Louisiana does not require personal injury protection or medical payments coverage, so if you want your own injuries covered regardless of fault, you must add one of those coverages separately.

Uninsured motorist coverage is also optional in Louisiana, but it protects you when an uninsured driver causes an accident that injures you or your passengers. Bodily injury liability and uninsured motorist coverage serve opposite roles: liability pays others when you are at fault, uninsured motorist pays you when someone without insurance is at fault. Neither is a substitute for the other.

Compare Carriers and Raise Your Limits Before the Next Renewal

Every vehicle on your Louisiana policy must carry at least $15,000/$30,000 bodily injury liability. The cost difference varies by carrier, driving history, and location, so comparing quotes from multiple insurers shows what higher limits cost for your specific household.

Use the comparison tool to request quotes at several liability tiers. Enter your current vehicles, drivers, and coverage selections, then adjust the bodily injury limits to see the premium change. Carriers writing multi-vehicle policies in Louisiana include State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Allstate, Farmers, USAA, Liberty Mutual, Travelers, and National General. Each prices bodily injury liability differently, and the carrier offering the lowest premium at the state minimum may not offer the best rate at higher limits.

How Bodily Injury Liability Works When You Cause an Accident

Bodily injury liability pays the other party's medical bills, lost income, and pain-and-suffering damages when you are at fault. It does not pay your own costs.

Louisiana is an at-fault state. The driver who causes the accident is responsible for the other party's injuries. Your bodily injury liability coverage pays their claims up to your policy limits.

When you insure multiple vehicles, one policy covers all of them under the same liability limits. If your spouse drives one car and causes an accident, and you drive another car and cause a separate accident the same month, each accident is subject to the same per-person and per-accident caps. The limits do not stack across vehicles — they apply per occurrence, not per car.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is bodily injury liability required in Louisiana?

Yes. Louisiana law requires every registered vehicle to carry at least $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage. You cannot register or legally drive a vehicle without it.

Does bodily injury liability cover my own injuries in Louisiana?

No. Bodily injury liability pays the other party's medical bills and damages when you cause an accident. It does not cover your own injuries or your passengers. For that, you need personal injury protection or medical payments coverage, which Louisiana does not require.

What happens if I cause an accident that exceeds the Louisiana minimum bodily injury limits?

The injured party can sue you for the difference. If your $15,000 per-person limit does not cover their medical bills and lost wages, they can pursue your personal assets — home equity, savings, retirement accounts — to recover the remaining amount.

Do bodily injury liability limits increase when I insure multiple vehicles in Louisiana?

No. The per-person and per-accident limits apply to each occurrence, not to each vehicle. If you carry $15,000/$30,000 and insure three cars, each accident is still subject to the same $30,000 cap regardless of which vehicle was involved.

How much does it cost to raise bodily injury liability limits above the Louisiana minimum?

The cost varies by carrier, driving history, location, and the number of vehicles on your policy. Carriers writing multi-vehicle policies in Louisiana include State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Allstate, Farmers, USAA, Liberty Mutual, Travelers, and National General.

Does Louisiana require uninsured motorist coverage in addition to bodily injury liability?

No. Louisiana does not require uninsured motorist coverage, but it is available as an optional add-on. Bodily injury liability pays others when you cause an accident; uninsured motorist coverage pays you when an uninsured driver causes an accident that injures you.