Tennessee Car Insurance Rules: Road Safety Enforced in Tennessee
The state of Tennessee enforces laws in order to ensure that their roads are safe for motorists and pedestrians alike. Just like most states, Tennessee has minimum requirements in terms of car insurance coverages mandated for all motorists in the state. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in hefty fines, the suspension of the driver’s driving privileges, and the revocation of the car’s registration. No car can be registered or renewed without the necessary car insurance coverage. In Tennessee, more weight is placed on coverages for bodily injury than property damage. The minimum coverage that you should have in bodily injury liability in Tennessee is $25,000 per person per accident or a total of $50,000 per accident. Property damage liability is only set at a minimum of $15,000. While having a coverage for such minimum amounts will allow you to freely drive in Tennessee’s roads, these might not necessarily be enough to cover injuries or damages you cause in a car accident. This is why you should seriously consider higher amounts in terms of your car insurance coverage. You can find a reasonable coverage for your car at the best rates possible by comparing insurance quotes from various insurers. Note that you have to get your car insurance coverage from a state recognized insurance company. You do not want to settle for no-name fly-by-night insurance companies that give you the lowest rates possible but cannot really deliver the protection that they promise when you actually get into an accident.
Although you might consider taking a car insurance policy in Tennessee as an inconvenient expense, there really is no way to avoid it. You cannot register your car in Tennessee without having the right coverage amounts. Think about getting your car insurance as a way to protect yourself from the possibility of getting into serious financial trouble. Under the state’s tort system, not having enough coverage could result in you being sued in court for financial liability. In such cases, your other assets could figure in the case as possible sources of funds that you can use to settle your financial obligations. With the right car insurance coverage, you save your assets and let your insurance company take care of your financial liability. The thousands of dollars you spend on premiums will actually save you from having to shoulder tens or maybe even hundreds of thousands of dollars to compensate the people you have injured or whose properties you damage in an accident.
In 2010, Tennessee car owners spent an average of $1,300 for auto insurance. This figure is just under the $1,500 national annual average. Overall, auto insurance costs declined compared to the previous year, particularly in the state of Tennessee where insurance rates saw a 14% drop from the previous 12 months after a staggering 18% rise the year before. It is therefore a very opportune time to shop around for quotes from insurance providers to take advantage of the relatively lower insurance cost while at the same time ensuring better coverage.
Tennessee Department of Insurance
- 500 James Robertson Pkwy Fourth Floor, Nashville, TN 37243
- Phone: (615) 741-2241
- www.state.tn.us/commerce/insurance/
Tennessee Department of Transportation
- James K. Polk Building 505 Deaderick Street Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37243
- Phone: (615) 741-2848
- Fax: (615) 741-2508
- www.tdot.state.tn.us
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