The state of Montana requires that motorists are financially responsible for any bodily injury and/or property damage that may be caused as a result of a traffic accident. A large portion of the state’s drivers choose to purchase a liability car insurance policy to satisfy this law. Policies must cover at least $25,000 for bodily injury for a single person, $50,000 for bodily injury coverage for two people, and $10,000 coverage for property damages. It’s important to note that Montana’s required state automobile liability policies only covers damages to others in an accident if the insured is at fault, but not the driver’s own personal losses.

The Montana auto insurance laws also require that carriers offer Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage, which may be rejected by the consumer. If a motorist does choose to purchase the Uninsured Motorist option, the limits of protection must equal $25,000 for a single person and $50,000 for two people. The coverage required by the state does not provide any compensation for damage sustained by the insured’s vehicle or bodily injury resulting from a collision with the exception of UM and when only involved with a driver lacking a policy. Consumers may want to consider additional protection and in many cases it could be necessary and beneficial.

Additional Montana Insurance Options

When choosing one’s auto insurance options, there may be benefits to including Medical Payments Coverage, particularly if the vehicle owner does not have a health care plan. In the event of an accident, regardless of who was at fault, Medical Payments would provide protection for not only the insured, but the insured’s family members and passengers who were present in the insured’s car at the time of the accident, up to the policy limits. This coverage, however, does not include injuries sustained by passengers in any other car involved in the accident.

Another form of coverage that drivers may want to take into consideration is Comprehensive and Collision coverage. This form of protection is particularly beneficial to people who are financing or own a particularly expensive vehicle. This is because the Comprehensive protects the car from damages that are not collision related, such as hail or contact with a bird or animal. In some cases, banks may insist upon this form of coverage when financing an expensive car as part of the loan agreement.

Prior to purchasing a policy, a consumer may want to comparison shop and locate rates based on different options. In many cases, additional coverage can be obtained for a small premium amount. Shopping around is cost free and may lead a consumer to find more adequate protection. One can also refer to the Montana Automobile Insurance Rate Comparison Guide to view sample rates based on common scenarios.