Bodily injury liability is the part of your Arizona car insurance that pays when you hurt someone else in an accident you cause. It covers their medical bills, lost wages, and, if they sue, your legal defense. It does not pay for your own injuries or your own car.
Because Arizona is an at-fault state, the driver who causes a crash is responsible for the harm to the other people involved. That is why bodily injury coverage is one of the most important lines on your policy, and why the state minimum is often not enough.
What bodily injury liability covers in Arizona
Bodily injury liability pays for injuries or death suffered by other people when you are at fault. That includes drivers and passengers in the other vehicle, your own passengers in many cases, pedestrians, and cyclists. It typically pays for medical treatment, rehabilitation, lost income, and pain and suffering claims, up to your policy limits.
Your limits are written as two numbers, such as 25/50. The first is the most the policy pays for one injured person. The second is the most it pays for all injured people in a single accident. Anything above those limits becomes your personal responsibility.
Arizona bodily injury minimums and what they really mean
Under
A.R.S. 28-4009, policies issued or renewed since July 1, 2020 must carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability, plus $15,000 in property damage. That is the 25/50/15 you hear about.
Those numbers go quickly. A single emergency room visit with imaging and a short hospital stay can use up $25,000 before rehabilitation even begins. If two or three people are hurt, the $50,000 per accident cap is shared among all of them.
Why higher limits matter for Arizona drivers
Arizona uses pure comparative negligence under A.R.S. 12-2505, so an injured person can recover damages even if they share some of the fault, reduced by their percentage of responsibility. Injury claims can also be filed for two years under A.R.S. 12-542, which means a claim can surface long after the accident.
When a judgment is larger than your limits, the other party can pursue your savings, your wages, and in some cases your home equity. Choosing higher limits is one of the least expensive ways to protect everything you have built. Many drivers also add an umbrella policy for an additional layer, which we cover in our
umbrella insurance guide.
Common bodily injury claim scenarios on Arizona roads
Rear-end collisions on the I-10 and Loop 101 are among the most common sources of injury claims in the Valley. Stop-and-go traffic, summer heat, and distracted driving all raise the odds of a crash where the person behind is at fault. Whiplash and back injuries from these accidents can lead to months of physical therapy.
Intersection crashes on busy surface streets in Tempe, Mesa, and Phoenix can injure several people at once, including passengers and pedestrians. When more than one person is hurt, the per accident limit is split among them, which is how a 25/50 policy runs out fast. Reviewing your limits before a claim happens is far easier than discovering the gap afterward.
How much bodily injury coverage costs
Experian's August 2026 data puts the average Arizona car insurance premium at about $1,920 a year, with full coverage near $2,550 and minimum coverage near $1,443. Moving from minimum limits to something like 100/300 usually adds a modest amount to the premium compared with the protection it buys.
Your actual price depends on your driving record, ZIP code, vehicle, and carrier. Because Riseson is an independent broker, we compare several carriers so you can see what higher limits cost across companies instead of one.
How bodily injury fits with the rest of your policy
Bodily injury liability protects other people. Your own medical bills fall under medical payments coverage or your health insurance, and your own vehicle is covered by collision and comprehensive. If the other driver has no insurance, you will rely on uninsured motorist coverage, explained in our
uninsured and underinsured motorist guide.
Damage to the other driver's vehicle or property is a separate limit, covered in our
property damage coverage guide. For the full picture, see our overview of
car insurance coverage in Arizona.
Frequently asked questions
What is bodily injury liability coverage in Arizona? It is the part of your auto policy that pays for injuries you cause to other people in an at-fault accident, including medical bills, lost wages, and legal defense, up to your limits.
What are the minimum bodily injury limits in Arizona? Arizona requires at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident under A.R.S. 28-4009, along with $15,000 in property damage liability.
Does bodily injury liability pay for my own injuries? No. It only covers other people. Your own injuries are handled by medical payments coverage, your health insurance, or uninsured motorist coverage if the at-fault driver has no insurance.
How much does car insurance cost in Arizona? Experian reports an August 2026 average of about $1,920 a year, with full coverage near $2,550 and minimum coverage near $1,443. Your rate depends on your record, location, vehicle, and carrier.
How long can someone file an injury claim after a crash in Arizona? Most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years under A.R.S. 12-542, so a claim can arrive well after the accident.
Get your bodily injury coverage quote today
If you drive in Arizona and have not reviewed your liability limits in the last year, you may be carrying less protection than you think. Riseson Insurance is an independent Arizona broker, which means we work for you, not for one carrier. We will pull quotes from multiple top-rated companies, walk you through what your limits actually cover, and find the bundling angle that saves the most. Reach out for a free Arizona auto quote and see your options in one place.
