State mandates higher insurance limits

Arizona legislature hikes liability coverage limits for state motorists

State mandates higher insurance limits

Motor & Fleet

By Allie Sanchez

Arizona Senate has given its initial approval to liability coverage hikes for car insurance in the state, which were last adjusted in 1972.

Senate Bill 1111 hikes minimum coverage to $25,000 from $15,000 for personal injuries, while an increase to $50,000 from the current $30,000 for all injuries in one accident was also approved.

Property damage coverage likewise rose to $25,000 from the current $10,000.

In a report by the Verde Independent, proponent Senator Kate Brophy McGee said the rates were last hiked in the 1970s.

“Back in the day, cars didn’t cost what they cost now, hospitals didn’t cost what they cost now,” she told the media outlet.

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However, Senator David Farnsworth noted in the same report that the debate about appropriate coverage leaves out those who are most affected, which are motorists who are currently scraping by with bare minimum coverage.

He asked, “We have a lot of (folk) out there right now that are faced with the choice of keeping their lights on or paying their auto insurance. Do we really want to make that worse?”

Still, bill author Senator Brophy McGee maintained that her bill was written for the poor to provide additional coverage and keep them from paying out of pocket for expenses not provided for in their current policies.


Related stories:
State lawmaker wants to block car insurance rate hikes for seniors
South Carolina car insurers charge extra for ride hailing service coverage

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