Louisiana law requires that a motorist carry a minimum of 10/20/10 liability limits on their vehicle. These numbers mean that there is coverage up to $10,000 for bodily injury to one person, $20,000 for bodily injury if more than one person is injured in the same accident, and $10,000 coverage for damages to someone else’s vehicle or property.
With the price of medical treatment and automobiles escalating, most states have raised their minimum requirements. In 2007, the Louisiana legislatures passed a bill that would increase the bodily injury minimum to $25,000 for one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $25,000 for property damage, only to have it vetoed by then Governor, Kathleen Blanco. In 2008, the state legislatures again voted to increase the minimal limits. This time a compromise was approved with the new limits of 15/30/15, which will become effective January 1, 2010. Louisiana still lags behind other states in their minimum coverage requirements. In a recent study by an Insurance Research Council, 12.3% of Louisiana motorists are not insured. With the present state of the economy, this will surely increase. To protect yourself and others in your vehicle, it is recommended that you also carry uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. This will provide coverage if the person causing the accident is uninsured, and also will provide coverage in the event the person at fault only has minimal limits, and your damages are greater than the available policy limits. I urge our state legislators to continue to try and increase the minimum limits to compensate innocent victims of accidents. At the very least, our limits should be more in line with our neighboring states and continue to increase to keep up with the cost of health care.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
