Missouri Auto Insurance - Laws and Requirements

Missouri is one of the many states which require their motorists to have a liability policy in effect at all times. Drivers should know what the requirements are in order to find proper coverage.
Missouri Auto Insurance - Laws and Requirements
The state of Missouri makes it mandatory for motorists to follow the financial responsibility law. This basically means that if a person has caused an accident that have a way to pay for any damages and injuries which have resulted from the collision. This requirement is usually met by purchasing an automobile policy from an auto insurance company.

Minimum limits of Liability:

• $25,000 for bodily injury for one person
• $50,000 for bodily injury per accident
• $10,000 for property damage

This is also one of the states that require drivers to have Uninsured Motorist coverage. This type of policy cover injuries to the policyholder and/or their passenger if struck by a driver that does not have coverage, are underinsured or if they are victims of a hit-and-run. This will cover injuries up to the limit stated on the policy.

Required Uninsured Motorist limits:

• $25,000 for bodily injury for one person
• $50,000 for bodily injury per accident

One should keep in mind that none of the required policies cover damages to the insured’s vehicle. They may want to consider purchasing comprehensive and collision in order to cover damage to their automobile. Also, liability does not cover injuries sustained by the policyholder and/or their passengers as a result of a traffic accident and uninsured motorist only covers the injuries in the situations described above. One can purchase medical expense coverage which will help cover the costs of medical care after a collision.

Consumers should also be aware that limits that are required by the state are relatively low when compared to the cost of medical care and how much it can cost to repair or replace a vehicle. If one were to cause a collision with a higher end automobile and cause it to be a total loss, they can easily exceed the $10,000 required limit. At this point they can be sued for the remaining costs. The same applies when it comes to bodily injuries. For this reason many consumer guides suggest the purchase of higher limits.

Since it is the law to be insured, one should shop around to find cheap Missouri insurance in order the find the most affordable car coverage. Consumer guides also suggest that comparison shopping is the most effective way to finding low rates. Getting quotes is free, so get as many as possible before buying a new policy.
   By Cesar Diaz
Published: 6/26/2009
 
Which coverage do you think is important to raise limits?
Liability
Uninsured Motorist
Both
Neither
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