When it comes to car insurance, Idaho is a fault, or tort, state. That means when a driver is deemed at fault for a car accident, they are responsible for financially compensating those injured in the crash for their medical and other accident-related expenses, as well as paying for repairs to the other driver’s vehicle and other property damage.
When a person is injured in an Idaho car accident, there are three options. The first involves filing a claim directly with their insurance company, which will then pursue the matter with at-fault driver’s insurer. The second consists of filing a claim directly with the at-fault driver’s insurer, while the third involves filing a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
The statute of limitations in Idaho for filing a personal injury lawsuit after a car accident is two years from the accident date. Failing to file by the deadline means a lawsuit cannot go forward in court. If a person succumbs to their accident-related injuries, the personal representative of the estate may file a wrongful death lawsuit within two years of the death date.
Under Idaho law, motorists must carry a minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance, along with at least $15,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL) coverage. BIL pays for the medical and other accident-related expenses caused by the at-fault driver, while PDL pays for repairs to the other driver’s vehicle and other damage. Both cover such expenses up to the limits of the policy. Neither BIL nor PDL pays for any expenses incurred by the at-fault driver. Keep in mind that these are the minimum amounts required, and most drivers should purchase additional insurance to protect their personal assets if they are involved in a serious crash.
While Idaho does not require drivers to carry uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, this is wise coverage to obtain. Accidents with uninsured or underinsured motorists are relatively common, and without such insurance you are responsible for paying for all of your medical expenses and repairs to your vehicle. If a driver does not want to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, they must specifically waive such coverage in their policy.
While the state does not require collision and comprehensive insurance, lenders will almost certainly mandate such coverage for leased and financed vehicles. Even if the car is owned outright, consider purchasing such coverage if you cannot afford to replace or repair the vehicle if it is seriously damaged in an accident.
Drivers caught without auto insurance in Idaho must have their insurance company file an SR‑22 Form, a certificate of financial responsibility, with the Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) prior to license reinstatement. As per the DMV, “the time required to maintain an SR-22 coincides with the length of the suspension.” If the driver fails to maintain the SR-22 during the mandated period, the license suspension is reactivated until all SR-22 requirements are met.
Approximately 1.7 million people call The Gem State home, and roughly 1.1 million of them hold drivers’ licenses. Idaho is the 12th largest state and the seventh least densely populated. It became the 43rd state in the Union in 1890.
Major industries in Idaho include advanced manufacturing, aerospace, tourism, energy, food production and technology. Idaho has a large agricultural sector, focusing on potatoes, dairy, apples, corn, hay, cattle, and onions.
Famous for its outdoor recreational opportunities, top attractions in Idaho include the Sun Valley Resort, renowned for its skiing; the Craters of the Moon National Monument in Arco; Hell’s Canyon National Recreation Area; Shoshone Falls, known as the Niagara of the West; the Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site in Boise; City of Rocks National Reserve and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
In 2017, 245 people lost their lives on Idaho roadways, in a total of 224 fatal crashes. That was an improvement in fatalities and crashes over the previous year, in which 253 people were killed in 232 fatal crashes. Of those killed, 17 were pedestrians, three were bicyclists, and 26 were on motorcycles. Overall accidents, however, rose 3.2 percent between 2017 and 2016. While two-thirds of crashes occurred on urban roadways, three-quarters of fatalities occurred on rural roads. One-third of all fatalities resulted from driving while impaired.
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/idaho-car-insurance-laws.html
https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title5/t5ch2/sect5-219/
https://apps.itd.idaho.gov/Apps/OHS/Crash/17/Analysis.pdf
https://www.statista.com/statistics/198082/number-of-licensed-drivers-in-idaho-in-2009/
https://commerce.idaho.gov/site-selection/key-industries/https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/idaho-usid.htm
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