Liability car insurance is the part of a car insurance policy that provides financial protection for a driver who harms someone else or their property while operating a vehicle. Car liability insurance only covers injuries or damages to third parties and their property—not to the driver or the driver’s property, which may be separately covered by other parts of their policy. The two components of liability car insurance are bodily injury liability and property damage liability.

In addition to indemnifying the other party( s) the liability coverage pays for defense costs in the event the accident leads to a lawsuit.