When you buy California state auto insurance, you will need, at minimum, to have liability coverage by law. This means that you will need to have coverage to insure against the damage you might cause to other vehicles in an automobile accident, or injuries that might occur that accrue various medical costs. After that, there are several other optional features to most of the policies offered by California state auto insurance companies. One of these is personal injury protection. In some states, this is also required by law, but in California it is an optional feature that may be added to your insurance policy.

Personal injury protection coverage as it exists in California state auto insurance policies protects you against the risk of any injuries that you may yourself suffer in an accident that is your fault. If the accident is the other driver's fault, usually the other driver's liability insurance policy should protect you and cover your medical needs. In cases where you are at fault, however, and need medical attention, personal injury protection can help to cover medical expenses, but also makes your premium quote more expensive.

If you already have other kinds of insurance, such as comprehensive health insurance from your place of employment, life insurance policies, or disability insurance, chances are that any medical costs that accrue in a traffic accident that is your fault will be covered by these policies. Therefore, there is no need to have personal injury protection if you are covered already by other kinds of policies that you own, and you can decrease the cost of your premium by opting out.

Another factor to consider when choosing options on your California state auto insurance policy is that personal injury protection claims will tend to hike up future premium rates. This means that if you actually use this option in your policy, in the future the insurance company may see you as more of a risk because of that, and generate more expensive quotes. You are seen as a greater risk because the only time you would use this option is if you were at fault, and sustained injuries needing medical attention due to your own negligence or driving errors.

On the other hand, if you do not have comprehensive health insurance, or if its coverage for accidents precludes injuries sustained in traffic, then opting into personal injury protection may be your best resort. To not be covered at all by California state auto insurance is not a good idea, and could be very costly should you be involved in a serious accident.