“The policy limit is the policy limit” is one of the more frustrating sentences an injured person hears from an insurance adjuster. It’s also, usually, true. Policy limits set a hard ceiling on what a given insurance policy will pay, no matter how serious the injury or how clear the fault. Understanding where that ceiling actually is changes how a claim gets handled from day one.
What a policy limit actually is
Every liability insurance policy states a maximum dollar amount the insurer will pay per person, per accident, or per category of damage. Arizona requires drivers to carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage, plus $15,000 in property damage coverage. That’s the floor set by Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-4009. Those numbers are minimums, not typical coverage. Many drivers carry more, and commercial vehicles must carry substantially higher limits.
Why the minimum matters so much in a serious injury claim
A driver who carries only Arizona’s minimum $25,000 in bodily injury coverage presents a real problem when actual damages run well past that number. Medical bills, lost income, and ongoing care add up fast. The insurer doesn’t have to pay more than the policy allows, no matter how strong the claim is on liability and damages. That gap is exactly what cobertura de motorista con seguro insuficiente exists to fill.
How claimants actually find out what the limits are
Policy limits aren’t published anywhere public. An insurer generally doesn’t have to disclose them just because someone filed a claim. In practice, a formal request — often through a lawyer, sometimes as part of a demand — usually gets a limits confirmation. Arizona law also creates some paths to compel disclosure once litigation is underway.
What a “policy limits demand” actually does
When damages clearly exceed the available coverage, a claimant can send a policy limits demand. This is an offer to settle for the full policy limit by a specific deadline. It’s more than a negotiating tactic. It starts a clock that can matter later if the insurer skips a reasonable, well-supported demand and the case eventually produces a judgment beyond the policy’s limits.
Multiple policies can mean multiple limits
A single crash can implicate more than one policy: an at-fault driver’s personal policy, an employer’s commercial policy if they were working, and the injured person’s own UM/UIM coverage. Each has its own separate limit. Finding every policy that could respond often makes the difference between a claim that’s fully compensated and one that stops short.
En resumen
Policy limits set a real ceiling on what any single insurance policy will pay. Arizona’s legal minimum coverage often falls far short of what a serious injury actually costs. Confirm the limits early, find every policy that might apply, and understand what a policy limits demand does. That’s what keeps a claim from stalling out below its real value.
Preguntas frecuentes
Arizona requires at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage, plus $15,000 in property damage coverage.
Not simply because damages are higher. The policy limit is a hard ceiling, which is why underinsured motorist coverage exists to fill the gap.
It’s an offer to settle for the full policy limit by a deadline, and it can matter later if the insurer skips a reasonable demand and a judgment ends up exceeding the limits.
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This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. Available coverage and policy limits vary by case — review your specific policies with a licensed Arizona attorney before accepting any settlement offer.