On the Ohio Property & Casualty exam, the Personal Automobile Policy appears both as a standard ISO-style contract and as a set of Ohio auto laws you must apply. This standalone guide reviews the policy's coverage parts, then drills into the Ohio overlay: the 25/50/25 financial-responsibility minimums, the at-fault (tort) system with modified comparative negligence, and the rule that uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage must be offered. The Ohio-specific material is where most state credit is earned.

Policy structure (the national base)

The Personal Auto Policy (PAP) is a packaged contract organized into lettered parts:

• Part A — Liability: pays bodily injury (BI) and property damage (PD) the insured is legally liable for; the insurer provides a duty to defend, and defense costs are paid in addition to the limit.
• Part B — Medical Payments: pays medical and funeral expenses for occupants regardless of fault.
• Part C — Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists (UM/UIM): pays the insured's injuries when the at-fault party is uninsured or underinsured.
• Part D — Coverage for Damage to Your Auto: Collision and Other Than Collision (Comprehensive), each with a deductible, settled at Actual Cash Value (ACV).
• Part E — Duties After an Accident or Loss and Part F — General Provisions.

Limits may be written as split limits (e.g., 100/300/50) or as a Combined Single Limit (CSL). Insureds include the named insured, resident spouse, resident relatives, and permissive users. Eligible vehicles are private passenger autos, pickups, and vans not used mainly for business. That framework is national; Ohio governs the limits and the liability environment.

Ohio uses a tort (at-fault) liability system

Ohio is an at-fault / tort state, not a no-fault state. The negligent driver is financially responsible, and the injured party collects from that driver's liability coverage or by filing suit. This is why liability coverage and financial responsibility are the heart of Ohio auto regulation.

Ohio applies modified comparative negligence. A claimant's recovery is reduced by their own percentage of fault, and a claimant is barred from recovering if they are found more than 50% at fault. In plain terms: if you are 50% or less to blame you can still recover (minus your share), but once your fault tips past 50% you recover nothing. Expect the exam to contrast this with no-fault states.

Financial responsibility: 25/50/25

Every Ohio driver must demonstrate financial responsibility (FR), usually by carrying liability insurance at or above the minimum split limits:

• $25,000 bodily injury per person
• $50,000 bodily injury per accident
• $25,000 property damage per accident

Shorthand: "25/50/25." These are statutory floors; producers routinely recommend higher limits. Ohio also allows alternatives—such as a $30,000 bond, a deposit with the state Treasurer, or a certificate of self-insurance for fleets—but a liability policy is the standard method. Driving without FR brings license/registration suspension, reinstatement fees, and full personal exposure for damages.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist must be offered

UM/UIM covers the insured when the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little.

• In Ohio, insurers must offer UM/UIM coverage; the insured may reject it in writing.
• It pays for bodily injury caused by an uninsured or underinsured at-fault driver.
• Because Ohio is at-fault, the other driver must be legally liable for UM/UIM to respond.

Memorize the pattern: UM/UIM is offered, not automatically forced, and a valid written rejection is what keeps it off the policy.

Medical Payments and physical damage

• Medical Payments (Part B) pays medical and funeral expenses for the insured and passengers regardless of fault—it is optional but commonly added.
• Collision pays for damage from impact with another object or vehicle; Other Than Collision (Comprehensive) covers theft, fire, glass, and animal strikes. Both are optional unless a lender requires them.

Required vs. optional coverages

Key Ohio numbers to memorize

Common exam traps

• Ohio is at-fault, not no-fault—there is no mandatory PIP system like Florida or Michigan.
• 25/50/25—the $25k appears twice (BI per person and property damage); don't confuse it with the $50k per-accident BI figure.
• UM/UIM must be offered, but the insured can reject it in writing—it is not silently included with no choice.
• Modified comparative negligence bars recovery only when a claimant is more than 50% at fault, not at exactly 50%.
• Liability defense costs are paid on top of the limit (national rule that still applies in Ohio).
• Hitting an animal is Comprehensive (Other Than Collision), not Collision.

Quick recap

• The PAP's Parts A–F structure is national; Ohio sets the limits and legal framework.
• Ohio is a tort/at-fault state using modified comparative negligence—a claimant more than 50% at fault recovers nothing.
• Minimum liability is 25/50/25, satisfied by a policy or an approved bond/deposit/self-insurance.
• UM/UIM must be offered and applies unless the insured rejects it in writing.
• Med Pay and physical damage coverages are optional unless a lender demands them.
• Driving without financial responsibility leads to suspension and personal liability for damages.