Been there, done that—rode around for years on minimum coverage when I was younger, mostly because my bank account was emptier than my gas tank. I figured, hey, if my car’s worth less than my bike and I don’t own anything fancier than a toaster, what’s the worst that could happen? But then, one summer, I took a road trip up the coast and got rear-ended by a guy who turned out to have even less insurance than me (if that’s possible). My minimums barely covered the mess, and I was still out a few hundred for stuff insurance didn’t touch.
Honestly, I get the “calculated risk” thing. Sometimes you just gotta do what you can afford. But man, after that trip, I started thinking about how fast things can go sideways—even if you’re just cruising to In-N-Out. Now I keep a little extra coverage, just in case my next adventure goes off-script. Not saying everyone needs to do it, but yeah, sometimes the “what if” hits closer to home than you think.
Now I keep a little extra coverage, just in case my next adventure goes off-script.
I used to think the same way—why pay more when my old Civic barely turned heads? Then I upgraded to something a little flashier, and suddenly, the idea of someone rear-ending me started keeping me up at night. Had a buddy who got his Benz dinged in a parking lot, and the minimum coverage didn’t even scratch the surface of the repair bill. Makes you realize how quickly “it’ll never happen to me” turns into “guess I’m eating ramen this month.”
Totally get where you're coming from. I see claims every week where folks think minimum coverage is enough—until they see a repair estimate for a newer car. California’s limits haven’t kept up with actual costs, especially with labor and parts these days. Even a fender bender can get pricey fast.
Honestly, I get the point about minimum coverage not being enough, but let’s not pretend everyone needs to max out their policy just because repair costs are up. Here’s the thing—if you’re driving an older car or barely put any miles on, the minimum might actually make sense. Not everybody’s rolling around in a brand-new Tesla, you know?
Here’s how I break it down with clients:
1. Figure out what you drive and how much it’s worth. No need to over-insure a 2005 Corolla.
2. Look at your risk. If you’re commuting in LA traffic every day, yeah, maybe bump up your liability.
3. Think about your assets. If you don’t have much to lose, minimum could be fine. If you own a house, different story.
Sure, repairs are expensive, but sometimes folks just can’t afford higher premiums, especially with everything else going up. It’s not always black and white—there’s a middle ground between “bare minimum” and “overkill.” Just my two cents...
Honestly, I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve seen people with “nothing to lose” end up getting their wages garnished because minimum liability didn’t cover the damages. Even if your car’s a beater, the other guy’s might not be. California’s minimums are pretty outdated for today’s costs. Sometimes “just enough” turns out not to be enough at all.
