Up to 1.2 million New Jersey drivers could start paying more for auto insurance starting Jan. 1 because of a bill signed by Gov. Phil Murphy.
Murphy signed the bill in response to a 2019 Supreme Court ruling that prevented accident victims with limited personal injury coverage from being able to get their medical expenses paid if they were over their policy limits.
Drivers can expect to pay more in the coming year for insurance because this new law increases the minimum amount of liability insurance that drivers must carry.
It calls for raising the minimum amount of personal injury protection from its current price tag of $15,000 to $25,000 per year.
Drivers currently paying the minimum amount for coverage can expect to pay between $120-$130 more per month.
Supporters of the law support the idea of allowing injured victims to pay their medical bills.
“I don’t think it’s that unusual to ask people to pay a little extra to get better coverage,” Joe Gieger said. “If you have a serious accident, health care costs are quite high, and I can certainly see a need to have higher coverage.”
However, many are also against raising the minimum because of how expensive insurance is already in the state.