CA State Minimums
- Bodily Injury Liability (BIL): $15,000/$30,000 Limit
- Property Damage Liability (PDL): $5,000 Limit
*The required limits for Californians under the auto assigned risk plan are $10,000/$20,000/$3,000 Limits
A Tort system is followed in California. This means that someone must always be found responsible for causing an accident. Responsibility for damages will be held by the person at fault and their auto insurance underwriter. Details of this system can alter by state and you should check with your local DMV office for exact rules.
You can get uninsured motorist coverage added to your california auto insurance in order to cover bodily injury caused by an underinsured driver (depending on the state). California does not require drivers to purchase this coverage, but you should consider purchasing this valuable coverage.
The average auto insurance premium for residents in California was $950 in 2003; The national average rate was $914. Some people think the state and insurance companies fix the rates, so they never compare current auto insurance rates for better rates.
Insurance companies segment their rates differently so everyone’s rate will be different with each company. To save money on auto insurance, you need to compare current rates. Yoiu can visit several sites to compare quotes and more affordable prices available in CA, so average Californians can get a better rate on their auto insurance.
It took almost 10 years (1999-2007) to see the most recent decrease in premiums. That year saw a .5% to 1% decrease in average insurance premiums from the previous year. Nevertheless, 2009 has already seen increases in average insurance premiums and it will most likely continue for the rest of the year. To find lower quotes, it’s best to visit insurance sites and compare multiple rates.
Premiums change over the years and especially in a state like California, if you are not careful you may wind up paying too much for your auto insurance coverage premiums. Looking back, the average insurance rate in 2000 was about $767; it increased 24% in just 3 years! Since then auto insurance costs have consistantly changed.