Is my child covered under my car insurance in South Carolina? 

I have several children and I’m wondering how my South Carolina auto insurance protects them if I’m in an accident. Is my child covered under my car insurance in South Carolina? Do I need full coverage auto insurance to protect my children if I’m in an accident? What coverage does my child have if I’m at fault for an accident? 

Answer:

If you’re in a car accident and your child is in the car, your child is covered in the same way as you are. This means that if you’re not at fault for the accident and you and your child have injuries, the at-fault driver’s bodily injury liability insurance should cover the related medical expenses for both of you.

What if the at-fault driver is uninsured in South Carolina? 

A: If the at-fault driver does not have insurance, but you have uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, you’d have injury coverage from your own policy. If you don’t have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, your health insurance would cover any injury costs for you and your child. 

But your own auto liability insurance does not cover injuries for your passengers (or you). Bodily injury liability insurance only covers passengers in a different car than the insured driver.

What coverage do I need in South Carolina?

A: In order to have coverage for your own injuries or your child’s, you need the following:

• Medical payments coverage: Medical payments coverage will pay the expenses of persons injured in an accident regardless of fault.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: This coverage helps you pay for bills that the other driver’s insurance should have paid for if the at-fault driver either has no insurance or has insufficient insurance. 

If you don’t have either of these types of optional coverage, but you have health insurance, your health insurance should cover medical expenses related to a car accident for both you and your children. 

Do I need full coverage auto insurance in South Carolina to protect my child? 

A: Full coverage auto insurance is a phrase used to designate a comprehensive South Carolina auto insurance policy that includes several types of optional coverage. 

The definition of full coverage auto insurance varies from company to company. There is no single definition or package of coverage for a full coverage auto insurance policy. Every state requires drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage, but most experts agree that a full coverage auto insurance plan should not only cover the state minimum liability requirements, but should also offer you some protection for physical damage to your vehicle.

What does full coverage auto insurance protect against in South Carolina? 

A: A full coverage auto insurance policy in South Carolina typically includes liability coverage and physical damage protection, at a minimum:

• Liability coverage protects you from damage you cause to other cars and/or other drivers in an accident for which you are at fault. It includes bodily injury and property damage liability coverage.
• Physical damage protection for your vehicle is included in both comprehensive and collision coverage. Comprehensive coverage reimburses you for damage to your vehicle for things like broken glass, theft, vandalism, hail, and more. Collision coverage protects you from damage caused by direct impact in an accident. 

Can I combine any additional policies in South Carolina?

A: Other types of optional coverage can be added on to complete your full coverage policy.  Your policy may include:

• Medical payments coverage: This coverage pays for medical expenses for you and your passengers regardless of who is at fault.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: This coverage helps you pay for bills that the other driver’s insurance should have paid for, if the at-fault driver either has no insurance or has insufficient insurance. 
• Emergency road service/roadside assistance/towing and labor: This optional coverage provides convenient assistance and financial protection in the event that you need help with towing, locksmith service, flat tire repair, battery jump-start, and more. 
• Rental car coverage: This optional coverage reimburses you for rental car expenses if you cannot use your vehicle while it is being repaired after an accident. 

Do I really need full coverage auto insurance in South Carolina?

A: You do not need full coverage auto insurance per se in order to have coverage for your child, but you do need to have the right coverage depending on the circumstances. Medical payments coverage and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage would be the coverage options that you need if you want protection for passenger injuries, including your children, regardless of the circumstances of your accident.

What coverage does my child have if I'm at fault for an accident in South Carolina?

A: If you’re at fault for an accident, you’ll have coverage for your child’s injuries if you’ve purchased optional medical payments coverage. This offers a limited amount of coverage that you can purchase for an additional premium. It typically has smaller coverage limits, such as $5,000. 

If you have this coverage, it will pay for your medical expenses as well as for your passengers’ medical expenses, regardless of fault. (If the other driver were at fault, his or her bodily injury liability insurance would pay for injuries sustained in your vehicle.) 

What if I'm at fault in South Carolina?

A: Assuming you have health insurance, it would also pay for injuries if you’re at fault for an accident. Your medical payments coverage in your South Carolina auto insurance policy can help you pay for deductibles, copayments, and other out-of-pocket medical costs in these cases.