What Are the State Minimum Auto and Motorcycle Insurance Requirements in Connecticut?
Each driver in Connecticut is required to carry minimum motor vehicle insurance to legally operate a vehicle in Connecticut. At this time, the state minimum insurance requirements are:
- Liability Insurance — $20,000 per victim and $40,000 per incident for bodily injury and $10,000 for property damage
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage — $20,000 per victim and $40,000 per incident
Drivers are encouraged to purchase higher amounts of coverage, as their budget allows, to protect themselves from liability if they cause an accident and substantial losses if an uninsured or underinsured driver causes them injury.
How Can We Help?
Fighting with an insurance adjuster can be frustrating and stressful, especially if you are trying to recover from injuries so you can get back to work. As your attorney, we want to ensure you receive the maximum compensation allowable by law.
We investigate each responsible party, including the other driver and potentially liable third parties, to maximize the amount of insurance coverage available to pay your accident claim. Furthermore, we pursue claims against your uninsured or underinsured insurance coverage if necessary.
Other Types of Insurance Coverage
In addition to purchasing the minimum coverage, you may also want to consider purchasing additional auto and motorcycle insurance to protect yourself and your family. The Connecticut Insurance Department describes several types of coverage you may want to consider:
- Comprehensive and Collision Coverage — If you have a lien on your vehicle, you may not have a choice whether you want to carry this type of insurance. Lienholders require you to carry comprehensive and collision coverage to protect them in the event of damage to your vehicle. Collision insurance covers the repair or replacement of your vehicle if you cause a collision. Comprehensive insurance pays for repair or replacement if something damages your vehicle other than a crash such as fire, theft, flood, hail, or explosion.
- Medical Payments Coverage — Pays medical expenses, and in some cases lost wages and funeral expenses, if you or a relative is injured in a traffic accident, regardless of fault.
- Other Optional Coverage — Full glass coverage pays to replace windows that are broken or cracked without a deductible. You may also purchase insurance for rental vehicles and towing services.
For questions about auto and motorcycle insurance, you can contact the State of Connecticut Insurance Department by telephone at 860-297-3800.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
If your insurance lapses or you cancel your policy, the DMV sends you a notice offering to resolve the matter. Penalties include a fine of $200, enter a consent agreement, and purchase new insurance. If you ignore the DMV notice, your registration could be suspended, and you could lose the privilege of registering or renewing any motor vehicle.
Could Minimum Insurance Requirements Increase?
A bill in the Connecticut legislature could raise the minimum liability insurance coverages if lawmakers decide raising minimums is in the best interest of residents. The new minimums, if the bill makes it all the way to the Governor and he signs it, would raise coverage from 20/40/10 to 25/50/25. In other words, you would be required to carry liability insurance for bodily harm in the amount of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident. Property damage coverage will increase to $25,000.
Drivers and insurance companies will be following this story very closely in the coming months. As accident attorneys, we will watch this matter closely too because raising limits will provide additional insurance coverage to pay the claims of our clients.