Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries and vehicle damage when the at-fault driver has no insurance or insufficient coverage limits to cover your losses.
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What Is Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured motorist coverage pays when a driver with no insurance injures you or damages your vehicle. Underinsured motorist coverage activates when the at-fault driver carries liability insurance but their limits are too low to cover your medical bills, lost wages, or repair costs. Both coverages protect you from paying out-of-pocket for someone else's mistake when their insurance is absent or inadequate. Your UM/UIM policy steps in after the at-fault driver's liability limits are exhausted or confirmed nonexistent.
Who Needs Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Drivers with significant assets, high medical costs, or family members who rely on their income should match their UM/UIM limits to their liability limits.
Compare the annual UM/UIM premium to your out-of-pocket risk if an uninsured driver injures you or totals your car. Check your county's uninsured driver rate — if it's above 10 percent, the odds justify the cost. Match your UM/UIM limits to your liability limits to avoid coverage gaps.
How Much Does Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
- Your UM/UIM coverage limits — matching your liability limits costs more than selecting lower UM/UIM limits, but eliminates gaps when an underinsured driver's policy maxes out below your loss amount.
- Stacking election — stacked UM/UIM multiplies your per-vehicle limit by the number of insured vehicles on your policy, increasing both your protection and your premium by 20 to 40 percent.
- Uninsured driver rate in your county — areas with higher percentages of uninsured motorists see higher UM/UIM premiums because the likelihood of a claim increases.
- Your liability limits — carriers price UM/UIM as a percentage of your liability coverage, so higher liability limits result in higher UM/UIM premiums even if you select matching UM/UIM limits.
