Nebraska Car Insurance: Requirements for Residents

All states have a different set of guidelines which govern their car insurance policies. For Nebraska’s consumers should contact the Nebraska Department of Insurance located in Lincoln by calling (877) 564-7323 or by visiting their website at http://www.doi.ne.gov.

Nebraska requires only that its residents purchase a liability policy on their vehicle. Liability will pay for damages inflicted in an accident for which the insured is responsible and extends to both the body and the vehicle of the victim. Minimum levels of required liability in NE are twenty five thousand dollars for injuries sustained by a single individual, fifty thousand dollars for the combined medial expenses of all of the occupants of the vehicle and twenty five thousand dollars for any necessary repairs to either public or private property. As the driver responsible for the accident will be held personally liable for any expenses resulting from the accident not covered by insurance and medical and repair costs can quickly rise in excess of these minimums it is strongly recommended that a greater level of liability coverage be purchased.

Comprehensive insurance is not required but is strongly recommended for all residents. If the insured is responsible for an accident liability is not going to help them pay for repairs to their vehicle; instead, they will be required to pay these costs out of pocket. Comprehensive insurance will pay for repairs up to the Kelley Blue Book value of the car, and if costs will be in excess of this amount the vehicle will be declared totaled and the owner awarded the full cash value of the car. Comprehensive insurance may be required for any car currently under lien, and for those vehicles whose Blue Book value is less than the balance on their lien gap coverage may be available. NE gap coverage will help make up the difference between what is paid by comprehensive and what is owed on the lien in the event that the car must be totaled.

Also not required but still a good idea is uninsured motorist coverage. Several states in the US do not require that their residents maintain a liability policy, and if those individuals not covered by liability are responsible for an accident their victims will have no other recourse but to attempt to recoup their losses from the personal assets of the driver responsible. Uninsured coverage will help them quickly obtain medical care and make repairs on their vehicles, and is absolutely essential for those who find themselves the victims of a hit and run.