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Basic Auto Insurance
Liability insurance covers the costs of property damage or treating personal injuries arising from auto accidents. It helps to protect bystanders and other motorists against errors that you might make while driving that might lead to an accident. If you let someone else drive your car, you are liable for the costs of damages or injuries arising from any accident that driver might cause.
Georgia requires all vehicle owners to maintain at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident in bodily injury insurance coverage and at least $25,000 in property damage protection per incident. That means if you cause an accident, the insurance will pay up to $25,000 in medical costs for each injured party – other than you, with a total of $50,000 for all injuries combined.
The $25,000 in property damage liability means the insurance policy will pay for up to $25,000 to repair or replace any vehicles or other property damaged by an accident in which you or another driver of your insured vehicle is at fault. The liability coverages do not apply to the vehicle owner, its driver or the vehicle itself. You would need collision and comprehensive auto insurance for that.
Required Insurance Documents
You need to carry proof of insurance at all times when driving on public roads in Georgia. You also need to keep a valid copy of the vehicle’s registration with a matching address shown in the insurance documents.
Your Insurance Card
The insurance card lists the make, model and VIN number of the insured vehicle, the address listed as the owner’s resident, and the liability insurance amounts in force. If a named insured is on the policy, that person’s name likely will appear on the insurance card. The idea is to have proof of sufficient insurance coverage so that you do not get tickets or your vehicle towed for violating state law.
Insurance Fraud
Insurance fraud is a highly pervasive problem that inflates the cost of insurance for all car owners. Insurance fraud occurs whenever someone knowingly misrepresents the events leading up to an insured event or the extent of injuries or property damage done. Insurance fraud is a felony and punishable by a fine and prison sentence.
How to Report Fraud to the State
The Criminal Investigations Division of the Georgia Department of Insurance accepts and investigates reports of insurance fraud. Special agents are sworn state law enforcement officers and certified for insurance investigations that can lead to prosecutions. The insurance department maintains separate reporting systems for consumers and insurance producers in Georgia.