If you’re involved in an accident with one of the 28 million uninsured drivers in the US, uninsured motorist coverage can help you pay the resulting bills.

Written by Liz Jenson

Edited by Amy Bobinger

Updated on Apr 26, 2024

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Uninsured motorist (UM) vs. underinsured motorist coverage (UIM)
What is covered by uninsured motorist coverage?
A policy with UM/UIM coverage costs about $199 a month
UM/UIM is required in some states
Your UMBI/UIMBI limits should match your liability coverage
Some states allow you to stack your UM/UIM coverage
UM/UIM and collision coverage may overlap
UM/UIM may offer protections your health insurance doesn’t
FAQ
Meet our experts

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Uninsured motorist coverage (UM) is a type of

car insurance

that protects you financially if you’re involved in an accident with a driver who doesn’t have insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) protects you when an at-fault driver has insurance, but doesn’t carry enough coverage to pay for damages resulting from an accident. UM and UIM are required coverages in some states.

Uninsured motorist (UM) vs. underinsured motorist coverage (UIM)

UM and UIM are sometimes bundled into a single portion of your policy called UM/UIM, but each covers a different scenario.

Uninsured motorist (UM): If you get into an accident with a driver who doesn’t have car insurance coverage, UM pays out to cover your recovery costs since the at-fault driver’s insurance is non-existent.

Underinsured motorist (UIM): UIM applies if you get into an accident caused by a driver who has some insurance, but not enough to pay for all of your expenses. UIM coverage can help you close the gap between the at-fault driver’s policy limits and your full recovery costs (up to your UIM policy limits).

Note: Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage usually covers expenses from a hit-and-run accident, but some states may require hit-and-run claims to be filed under collision coverage.

Learn more:

Does your car insurance go up after someone hits your car?

What is covered by uninsured motorist coverage?

UM and UIM coverage can be further broken down into two types of coverage: bodily injury and property damage. Most UM/UIM insurance is strictly bodily injury liability (called UMBI or UIMBI), but some states may also offer or require property damage UM/UIM coverage (called UMPD or UIMPD).

Here’s what each of these two types of UM/UIM covers:

Bodily injury UM/UIM: If you or your passengers get injured, UMBI/UIMBI helps to pay the resulting medical bills. It may also cover other bills, like lost wages or funeral expenses.

Property damage UM: If your car or belongings are damaged, UMPD/UIMPD steps in to repair or replace them. UMPD/UIMPD isn’t available everywhere, so you may need to check your policy details to find out whether you have this coverage.

Note that your exact coverage will depend on the auto insurance policy you buy and the insurance laws in your state.

A policy with UM/UIM coverage costs about $199 a month

Most drivers will pay about $199 a month for a policy that includes UM/UIM coverage. However, your exact rate will depend on a number of factors, including where you live and your UM/UIM limits.

To better understand what drivers pay for UM/UIM protection, our experts analyzed thousands of car insurance policies purchased by real Jerry users. They found that on average, the amount of UM/UIM coverage you purchase impacts your monthly car insurance premium. Here’s what that looks like for some common UM/UIM coverage limits:

Coverage amount	Monthly average for UM	Monthly average for UIM
12/25	$137	$127
25/50	$177	$177
30/60	$189	$195
50/100	$216	$216
100/300	$227	$217

They also found that your rates could vary significantly depending on which insurance company you choose.

Insurance company	Minimum liability + UM/UIM
AAA	$128
Allstate	$69
Assurance America	$194
Bristol West	$182
Clearcover	$68
Nationwide	$43
Progressive	$81
State Auto	$49

UM/UIM is required in some states

There are 211 states that require drivers to carry UM. Other states require both UM and UIM.

UM/UIM coverage may still be available in other states: Even if UM/UIM is not mandatory in your home state, your insurance provider may offer it as an optional add-on coverage; in fact, some states require companies to offer this coverage to policyholders. In optional states, you can reject this coverage in writing if you do not wish to carry UM/UIM coverage. In mandatory states, you must purchase coverage that meets or exceeds the minimum level.

Here’s a look at the required coverages by state for UM/UIM. We’ll also break down the monthly cost of a minimum liability policy—the cost of UM/UIM is included if it’s a required coverage in that state—plus whether UMPD is available in each state.

State	Uninsured motorist coverage requirements	Average minimum liability cost	UMPD availability
Alabama	Optional	$64	Not available
Alaska	Optional	$112	Available
Arizona	Optional	$66	Not available
Arkansas	Optional	$61	Not available
California	Optional	$66	Available
Colorado	Optional	$60	Not available
Connecticut	Both required at $25,000 per person/ $50,000 per accident	$98	Not available
District of Columbia	UM required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident UIM not available	$77	Required at $5,000 per occurrence
Delaware	Optional	$83	Available
Florida	Optional	$174	Not available
Georgia	Optional	$104	Available
Hawaii	Optional	$82	Not available
Idaho	Optional	$42	Not available
Illinois	Both required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident	$63	Available
Indiana	Optional	$56	Available
Iowa	Optional	$44	Not available
Kansas	Both required at $25,000 per person/ $50,000 per accident	$55	Not available
Kentucky	Optional	$109	Not available
Louisiana	Optional	$105	Available
Maine	Both required at $50,000 per person/ $100,000 per accident	$61	Not available
Maryland	Both required at $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident	$91	Required at $15,000 per accident
Massachusetts	UM required at $20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident UIM optional	$60	Not available
Michigan	Optional	$118	Not available
Minnesota	Both required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident	$67	Not available
Mississippi	Optional	$59	Available
Missouri	UM required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident UIM optional	$65	Not available
Montana	Optional	$45	Not available
Nebraska	Both required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident	$52	Not available
Nevada	Optional	$63	Not available
New Hampshire	Both required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident	$43	Not available
New Jersey	Optional	$93	Available
New Mexico	Optional	$54	Available
New York	UM required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident UIM optional	$122	Not available
North Carolina	UM required at $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident UIM required if liability limits exceed state minimum	$43	Required at $25,000 per accident
North Dakota	Both required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident	$73	Not available
Ohio	Optional	$49	Available
Oklahoma	Optional	$60	Not available
Oregon	UM required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident UIM optional	$70	Not available
Pennsylvania	Optional	$53	Not available
Rhode Island	Both required if liability limits exceed state minimum	$67	Available
South Carolina	UM required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident UIM optional	$113	Required at $25,000 per accident
South Dakota	Both required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident	$53	Not available
Tennessee	Optional	$59	Available
Texas	Optional	$85	Available
Utah	Optional	$67	Available
Vermont	Both required at $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident	$36	Required at $10,000 per accident
Virginia	Both required at $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident	$61	Required at $20,000 per accident
Washington	Optional	$65	Available
West Virginia	UM required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident UIM optional	$59	Required at $25,000 per accident
Wisconsin	UM required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident UIM optional	$42	Not available
Wyoming	Optional	$29	Available

To learn more about the uninsured motorist laws in your state, click on the links in the table above.

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Your UMBI/UIMBI limits should match your liability coverage

If uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is required in your state, the mandatory UM/UIM coverage limits will be the same as your state-required liability limits.

Let’s take

West Virginia

as an example. UMBI and UMPD are both required in this state.

West Virginia requires drivers to carry 25/50/25 state minimum liability insurance, meaning drivers have to purchase at least $25,000 bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 property damage coverage per accident.

To meet the minimum UM levels in this state, match the 25/50/25 state minimum liability limits:

Required uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI): $25,000/$50,000

Required uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD): $25,000

If you want to increase your UM/UIM limits, you’ll typically also need to raise your liability limits. So, for instance, if you want a UM/UIM policy with limits of 50/100/50, you’ll first need to raise your liability to at least 50/100/50.

Learn more:

Minimum car insurance required in your state

Some states allow you to stack your UM/UIM coverage

In some cases, you may be able to “stack” your uninsured motorist insurance coverages, depending on your state and insurer. For an extra fee, you can combine uninsured motorist bodily injury limits for multiple vehicles to increase the amount of insurance coverage for a single accident.

You can stack UM/UIM coverage in two ways:

Stack coverage for two vehicles insured under one policy.

Stack coverage for two vehicles insured under two policies in the same name.

Let’s say you own two vehicles insured under the same policy. The uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage on each vehicle is $60,000. If you stack the coverages, you have a total stacked policy limit of $120,000 to cover any injury expenses from a car crash with an at-fault uninsured driver.

Not every state or insurance company allows stacking. Some providers have an “anti-stacking provision” that prevents multiple uninsured motorist insurance claims for a single accident.

If your state allows stacking, there are a few things to consider:

Stacking typically costs more.

You must choose to stack when you buy or renew a policy.

UM coverage is only for accidents caused by others.

UM/UIM and collision coverage may overlap

UM/UIM covers damages to your vehicle caused by a driver with no insurance or with insufficient insurance to cover the total cost of damages. Collision coverage covers damages to your vehicle resulting from a crash with another motor vehicle.

Here are the key differences between UM/UIM vs. collision coverage:

Hit-and-run coverage: In some states, UMPD will not cover a

hit-and-run

. You’d need collision coverage to pay for damages to your car in these states.

Medical expenses: UMBI/UIMBI covers medical expenses if you’re hit by someone who doesn’t have insurance. Collision and comprehensive do not cover medical expenses.

Other costs: UM helps cover the cost of things that don’t fall under collision and comprehensive insurance, like lost wages, funeral expenses, or pain and suffering.

You must still purchase uninsured motorist coverage if your state requires it, even if you also carry collision or

comprehensive insurance

The bottom line: If you don’t have a

full-coverage insurance policy

that includes collision and comprehensive, you may want to consider UM/UIM for greater financial protection—especially if you live in a state with a high rate of uninsured drivers.

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UM/UIM may offer protections your health insurance doesn’t

Although UMBI/UIMBI may overlap with health care insurance, it still offers benefits that make it a worthwhile consideration to your car insurance policy. Here are some benefits of relying on your UM/UIM instead of your health insurance:

No deductible: UM/UIM isn’t subject to a

deductible

, whereas health insurance policies often have a high deductible.

Passenger protection: UM/UIM provides medical coverage for passengers without health insurance.

Financial protection: UM/UIM may offer financial protection beyond the limits of

personal injury protection (PIP)

and

Medical Payments (MedPay)

Smarter limits: An individual health insurance policy may not kick in until after the limits of your car insurance policy have been met.

Other perks: Healthcare insurance typically doesn’t offer compensation for lost wages or funeral expenses.

Learn more:

Can I use health insurance to cover car accident injuries?

FAQ

What does uninsured motorist coverage pay for?

If you’re in a car accident with someone who doesn’t have car insurance, uninsured motorist coverage may pay for your medical bills, funeral expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering compensation. In some states, you can also purchase uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD), which pays for damages to your car if an uninsured driver hits you.

Does UM cover hit and runs?

Yes—if you’re involved in a hit-and-run, you can file a claim against your policy's uninsured motorist coverage. However, uninsured motorist coverage for property damage (UMPD) will not cover hit-and-run incidents in certain states. If you reside in a state that doesn’t allow this, you’ll need collision coverage for insurance to cover vehicle damage from a hit-and-run driver.

How much UM/UIM do I need?

There are no set limits for UM/UIM, but you’ll generally want to set the same coverage limits for your UM/UIM as you have for your liability insurance. For example, if your liability insurance limits are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, you’ll want to choose the same limits (or more) for UMBI and UIMBI.

What happens if I don’t have uninsured motorist coverage?

If you’re in a car crash where the other driver doesn't have car insurance, and you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage, you have two options: take legal action against the other driver or pay for the expenses out-of-pocket. However, the legal process can be time-consuming and costly, as can paying for vehicle damages and medical bills yourself.

What happens if you are hit by an uninsured driver in Virginia?

UM/UIM coverage is mandatory in

Virginia

, so you should have this protection in your policy. After the accident, file a claim with your own insurance company for damages caused by the at-fault uninsured driver. After assessing the claim, the company will pay out based on the damages and your limits.

Meet our experts

Liz Jenson

Liz Jenson is an insurance writer who specializes in general automotive and insurance topics. Liz’s mission is to produce informative and useful content to help car owners make smart choices when buying cars and car insurance. Since joining Jerry in 2021, Liz has written nearly 4,000 long- and short-form articles on topics including state-specific insurance recommendations, common car insurance questions, and deep dives into vehicle model details.

Before they came to Jerry, Liz was a full-time student at Indiana University, Bloomington working on a double major in English and French.

Amy Bobinger

Licensed Insurance Agent — Expert Insurance Editor

Expert insurance writer and editor Amy Bobinger specializes in car repair, car maintenance, and car insurance. Amy is passionate about creating content that helps consumers navigate challenges related to car ownership and achieve financial success in areas relating to cars.

Amy has over 10 years of writing and editing experience. After several years as a freelance writer, Amy spent four years as an editing fellow at WikiHow, where she co-authored over 600 articles on topics including car maintenance and home ownership. Since joining Jerry’s editorial team in 2022, Amy has edited over 2,500 articles on car insurance, state driving laws, and car repair and maintenance.

SOURCES

https://www.iii.org/article/background-on-compulsory-auto-uninsured-motorists