Bodily injury liability coverage

What it is

Bodily injury (BI) coverage pays injured third parties on the insured's behalf and funds the insured's defense. Limits are written as two numbers: the most the policy pays for one person, and the most for everyone hurt in one accident. A policy shown as 100/300 pays up to $100,000 to one person and $300,000 per accident.

The California rule

California's minimum auto liability limits rose on January 1, 2025, under SB 1107: $30,000 for injury or death of one person, $60,000 for injury or death of more than one person, and $15,000 for property damage. The old minimums were 15/30/5, so check the policy period against the date of loss. California has no general statute requiring a carrier to disclose its limits before suit; once a case is filed, Code of Civil Procedure 2017.210 makes coverage and limits discoverable.

Why it matters to a plaintiff firm

The BI limit is usually the practical ceiling on a recovery, so finding every policy early changes the case: the driver's policy, the vehicle owner's, an employer's when the driver was working, umbrella or excess coverage, and the client's own underinsured motorist coverage. Confirmed limits decide whether a policy-limits demand makes sense and when a UIM claim opens.