Illinois House Rejects Higher Auto Insurance Limits

An Illinois Senate bill that would have increased private passenger automobile financial responsibility limits was overwhelmingly defeated on the House floor this afternoon, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), an industry-funded lobbying group.

House members voted 113 to 5 to defeat S.B. 2283, which would have raised Illinois financial responsibility limits from 20/40/15 to 30/60/25.

Using data compiled by the Insurance Research Council (IRC) and the current rate manual of a large Illinois auto insurer, PCI estimated that 17 percent of Illinois auto insurance consumers would end up paying higher premiums if the bill passed.

Policyholders going from 20/40/15 to 30/85/25 limits would see their liability rates increase 19 percent, PCI estimated. These same policyholders would also receive a 36 percent increase in their UM/UIM rates. The same company’s policyholders with 25/50/15 limits would see 11 percent and 21percent increases in liability and UM/UIM rates, respectively, with the increase to 30/85/25.