Motorists in CO must maintain financial responsibility at all times while behind the wheel of an automobile and the majority of residents choose to do so by purchasing and maintaining auto insurance coverage. The state mandates that all motorists must have compensation in place in the event that they cause a traffic accident and injure another driver, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists or any other party that may be occupying the roads. Although there may be other ways accepted by the state as form of financial responsibility, Coloradans often choose to purchase a policy in order to comply since it can be a more affordable option.
If a resident driver does choose to purchase a Colorado car insurance policy to be in compliance with the state’s laws, they will have to obtain liability limits consisting of no less than $25,000 for bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for bodily injury for two or more people and $15,000 for property damage per accident. Higher limits of liability can be purchased and is often recommended; usually in the amounts of $100,000 for bodily injury to one person, $300,000 for bodily injury per accident and $50,000 for property damage. Motorists should also be aware that the required liability policies only cover the bodily injuries and/or property damage sustained by a third party.
Aside from the mandated state liability requirements, as of January 1, 2009, CO required that “med-pay” also became mandatory and must be offered by insurers in an amount of at least $5,000; this is also known as Medical Payments and will pay for the bodily injury of the policyholder and/or passengers involved in a traffic accident no matter which party is found responsible for being at fault. Consumers do have the option to reject such protection in writing at the time of policy inception and insurers must keep such proof of rejection for a time period of no less than three years from the effective date of coverage. It is often suggested not to reject this option since it fairly inexpensive and could be beneficial.
The state also requires carriers to offer potential customers Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage and consumers also have the option to reject this option as well. However, motorists may be tempted to go without this coverage, but the fact of the matter is that there are many drivers who operate without policies and this will pay for bodily injury (up to the policy’s limits) to the policyholder and any party considered “insured” if involved in a collision with an uninsured motorist or if the cost of medical expenses exceeds the liability limits of the other party. Similar to “Med-Pay”, this add-on is relatively inexpensive and could come in handy if involved in an accident with motorists lacking policies. Residents may want to review the Colorado Department of Insurance Uninsured/Underinsured FAQ’s before deciding to decline this coverage.
Source: http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/colorado/
