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State Farm is the most popular auto insurance company in the country.1 It’s been around for over 100 years and has made itself known as a trusted and reliable service in the industry.
Priced at $1,194 a year on average, GEICO is one of the cheapest providers in the country.
Most states in the U.S. require you to have at least liability coverage before you can drive legally. Liability coverage helps cover the costs of the other driver’s bodily injuries and property damages if you’re in an at-fault accident. While we recommend you take on more coverage than just minimum liability, it’s fundamental to any insurance plan.
But who offers the best plans? And how do you know what additional coverage you might need? Below, we’ll look at our top picks for liability auto insurance based on rates, coverage options, discounts, and more.
Best Overall Liability Auto Insurance: State Farm
Best Cheap Liability Auto Insurance: Geico
Best Flexible Liability Auto Insurance: Travelers
Best Liability Auto Insurance for Bundling: Farmers
Best Liability Auto Insurance for High-Risk Drivers: Direct Auto
Category | #1. State Farm | #2. GEICO | #3. Travelers | #4. Farmers | #5. Direct Auto |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average annual rates for drivers | $1,419 | $1,194 | $1,620 | $1,878 | $2,487 |
Bundling discounts (renters or homeowners insurance) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Safe driver discount | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Umbrella Insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
J.D. Power customer satisfaction index (Southeast) (out of 1,000)2 | 885 | 853 | 853 | 862 | N/A |
Review | State Farm review | GEICO review | Travelers review | Coming Soon | Coming Soon |
There’s much more to State Farm than a host of commercials featuring athletes and other celebrities. Priced at an average of $1,419 annually, State Farm is one of the cheapest providers on our list. It offers affordable liability insurance with plenty of coverage add-ons, policy features, and bundling options. In addition, it has an easy-to-use app and is ranked number one in the country among all large insurance providers for customer service and satisfaction.
Often, liability coverage is the minimum you’ll need in order to drive legally, depending on which state you live in. Still, you may want some additional add-ons even with a solid liability plan to meet your unique needs as a driver. With State Farm, you can get the following features and coverage add-ons:
If you’re looking for liability coverage in order to save on your car insurance expenses, then you’ll probably appreciate the variety of discounts that State Farm offers. Discounts and offers may vary from state to state, so speak with an agent to see what you’re eligible for. Here are some ways you can save on your liability insurance with State Farm:
Do you own a home, RV, golf cart, or condo? Consider bundling your liability insurance with another type of insurance. It’s easier to manage multiple insurance policies from the same provider, and you can save when you bundle coverage. With State Farm, you can bundle your liability coverage with any of the following:
Priced at $1,194 on average annually, GEICO is the cheapest provider on our list and one of the cheapest car insurance companies in the nation. With a long list of discounts and well-rounded bundling and coverage options, GEICO is a great option if you’re looking for affordable liability protection.
Keep in mind that insurance coverage will vary from person to person and state to state depending on your demographic, location, the number of accidents in your area, instances of theft in your area, the chance of natural disasters, and much more.
With GEICO’s low average rate, however, you have a good chance at an affordable insurance quote on your liability coverage. A lot of drivers looking for liability can’t afford full coverage. With GEICO, you might be able to purchase liability coverage with extra protection and still have some money left over.
The GEICO mobile app has a 4.8 on the Apple store and a 4.7 on the Google Play store. It has a simple and easy-to-navigate interface that allows you to keep track of your policy and billing details, access your digital insurance card, file a claim, and pay bills. You can request roadside assistance and chat with agents directly on the app.
Additionally, GEICO has an accident estimate feature that allows you to upload photos of car damages to the app and get an estimate of how much the damages will cost.
You might be surprised to find that you can afford extra coverage options after taking on GEICO’s affordable liability insurance. And if you find yourself with more of a budget to work with, you’ll be happy to learn that GEICO offers a number of different features and coverage types, including these options:
Travelers is a great provider if you want to take on additional coverage and customize your policy. You can get liability coverage with roadside assistance, accident forgiveness, gap insurance, and other add-ons. On top of that, Travelers is one of the largest insurance companies in the country and is reasonably priced at $1,620 annually on average.
Flexibility is one of the most important features for drivers who want a liability plan. While we recommend full coverage to keep you protected on the road, you can get some added protection by customizing your liability plan with add-ons that fit your needs. With Travelers auto insurance, you can add the following features and coverage options to your plan:
Named non-owner insurance is liability coverage if you don’t own a vehicle. This is a great plan if you drive often but don’t own a car. You might consider signing up for named non-owner insurance if you meet any of the following conditions:
While most drivers take on liability coverage for their named non-owner coverage, you can add types of coverage to your plan.
On top of a long list of discounts that you can find at most major insurance providers, Travelers has two unique featured discount programs: The Travelers Affinity Auto & Home Program and the IntelliDrive Program.
The Travelers Affinity Auto & Home Program will allow you to do the following:
The IntelliDrive Program is a 90-day safe driver program. Here’s how to apply:
You can save up to 30 percent through the IntelliDrive Program based on your driving habits, but you might end up with higher premiums if you drive recklessly or unsafely.
You can bundle your liability coverage with renters insurance, homeowners insurance, pet insurance, and more. Bundling is a great way to get discounts on your insurance and manage all of your policies from the same provider and account.
Most drivers who get only liability coverage or minimum liability are looking for a more affordable plan, so bundling is a good option if you’re already paying for other types of coverage. Farmers is one of the largest providers in the country and is cheaper than the national average with a cost of $1,878 annually.
Farmers has one of the longest lists of bundling options in the country. You can simplify the way you manage your coverage and benefit from big bundling savings. Bundle home, life, business, pet, personal umbrella, and rideshare insurance with your liability coverage. On average, Farmers customers saved 20 percent on their insurance from bundling.
Farmers has plenty of discounts that revolve around safe driving habits. The discounts and eligibility can vary from state to state, so speak with an agent to see which ones apply to you. These are some of Farmers’ most notable discounts:
The Farmers mobile app has a 4.8-star rating on the Apple store and a 4.7 rating on the Google Play store. The app gives you easy access to pay bills, manage payment options, request roadside assistance, ask for a quote, view policy documents, and more. It’s free to install and gives you the freedom to manage your insurance policies from the comfort of your phone.
Do you have a history of DUIs, at-fault accidents, or traffic citations? If so, Direct Auto might be the choice for you.
Direct Auto offers affordable auto insurance for high-risk drivers. You can get minimum liability, full coverage, and a few add-ons to your plan. If you’re having a hard time getting insurance from other providers, Direct Auto might be the choice for you.
Direct Auto is one of the few providers that caters to individuals with a history of accidents, DUIs, traffic citations, and other driving violations that would deter most insurance providers. Although Direct Auto is the most expensive provider on our list at $2,487 annually, its rates are competitive when you compare them to other insurance providers for high-risk drivers, which are more expensive in general.
For many high-risk drivers, minimum liability might be the only affordable option available to you. Direct Auto will work with you directly to find a coverage plan that works, whether you’re looking for minimum liability or something more.
One of the ways Direct Auto keeps car insurance rates relatively low for drivers with histories of violations or accidents is through its discounts. With Direct Auto, you can lower your insurance rates with the following discounts:
Direct Auto understands how difficult it is to afford car insurance with a history of accidents and violations. That’s why it gives you the opportunity to customize your auto insurance payment options.
With Direct Auto, you can choose payment dates that fit your schedule, plan your payment schedule and recurring payments to fit your budget/spending ability, and decide how you want to pay: online, over the phone, or in person. Regardless of your financial situation, Direct Auto will work closely with you to find a plan that works for your liability insurance.
Liability coverage is the backbone of any auto insurance plan, which is why we focused on finding the best rates, add-ons, features, and flexible plans when putting this list together. Whether you’re looking for liability insurance because you need the most affordable minimum requirements in your state or you want to increase your limits for added protection, this list will give you options. Our methodology comes down to three different approaches for finding reliable and objective information on auto insurance.
Liability coverage is the minimum insurance required to drive legally in most states. It consists of bodily injury coverage, which pays for the treatment of injuries you cause to someone else in an accident, and property damage coverage, which pays for damages you caused to someone else’s car or objects/property.
If it’s in your price range, we recommend buying full auto insurance coverage. With full coverage, you’ll be protected even in more serious accidents where you are at fault. Minimum liability coverage may not cover all the costs in the event of an at-fault accident.
On average, liability car insurance costs $650 annually on its own. Minimum coverage, which can cost more than liability coverage depending on the state you live in, is $1,417 annually on average. However, you can get lower auto insurance rates by using discounts for military members, good credit, clean driving record, and so on.
Generally speaking, the cheaper your car is, the less coverage you need. If the total value of your vehicle is so low that you would feel comfortable paying for its damages out of pocket, minimum liability may be a good option for you. However, if you’re in an accident with an underinsured/uninsured driver who is also at fault, you may want the peace of mind of knowing that you’re covered even if they can’t afford to pay for the damages they caused.
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https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-insurance-company-rankings
Auto Insurance Rate Hikes Erode Price Satisfaction, Drive Surge in Value Shopping, J.D. Power Finds. J.D. Power. (2022, May 23).
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2018 Crime in the United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2018).
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/topic-pages/persons-arrested-browse-by/cities-and-counties-grouped-by-size-population-group