Virginia requires you to have the minimum liability insurance or pay an uninsured motorist fee. But even a tiny fender bender could result in more property damage than the state minimum covers. Get real-world advice from one of our agents.

The minimum requirement for Virginia drivers is 25/50/20 liability insurance coverage, which translates to $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $20,000 in property damage.

“If you’re short on liability coverage and you’re in an accident, the difference comes out of your pocket,” explained Bart Mitchell, a Henrico County Farm Bureau insurance agent. “I don’t want you to call me and say, ‘Bart, I hit an $80,000 Mercedes,’ and you have $20,000 in liability. Because the $60,000 that you [now] have to pay is coming out of your pocket.”

A better route, he said, is to tailor your coverage amount around your real-world assets and real-world collision scenarios. Broader liability coverage means an injured party doesn’t need to go after you and your property personally. And it keeps worst-case scenarios like second jobs and selling the house to pay for someone’s injuries off the table.

This is when meeting with an experienced insurance agent comes in handy. The cost difference between the bare minimum and better protection is often surprisingly small. But the value of making sure you’re really covered is priceless.