While insurers are legally required to offer all Idaho drivers uninsured (UM) and underinsured (UIM) motorist coverage, drivers are not required to buy it—but in a state where 13% of drivers have no insurance, purchasing UM and UIM coverage is a very good idea.

In Idaho, all drivers are required by law to carry

liability insurance

, but the limits are relatively low. That’s why it's a good idea to ensure your policy includes uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in order to protect yourself financially in case you’re injured in an accident involving an uninsured driver.

Jerry

, the

car insurance

app that makes finding a great policy at an affordable price easier than ever, will walk you through why it's important to have uninsured motorist coverage in Idaho. Of course, we’ll give you tips on how you can lower your

Idaho car insurance costs

, too.

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Do you need uninsured motorist coverage in Idaho?

In Idaho,

uninsured motorist coverage

is not legally required for drivers, but all insurance companies are legally required to offer it. You can decline UM/UIM coverage if you want to.

According to the

Insurance Information Institute (III)

, approximately 13.2% of Idaho drivers are uninsured.In a state with 1.2 million drivers, that means nearly 160,000 drivers are on Idaho roads with no insurance whatsoever. This means that, unfortunately, there are plenty of drivers out there whose lack of insurance won’t cover your costs should you be injured in a collision where the uninsured driver is at fault.

That’s why it's good to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. If the at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance (or not enough of it), your UM/UIM coverage will kick in to cover your medical expenses associated with the collision, up to the limit of the amount of coverage you’ve purchased.

Best of all, adding UM/UIM to your coverage is pretty cheap. It will only cost between $50 and $75 per year to add UM/UIM coverage to your policy, which is pretty affordable considering how much it can help if you find yourself injured by another driver in a collision.

MORE:

How many drivers are uninsured?

How uninsured motorist insurance works in Idaho

Here’s how uninsured motorist coverage works in the Gem State. Idaho’s minimum liability coverage is $25,000 for bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 bodily injury coverage per accident, and $15,000 property damage liability coverage per accident.The two types of bodily injury coverage cover another driver’s injuries in an accident; the second type covers the medical costs of all occupants in a vehicle injured in a collision where you are at fault. The property damage coverage covers another driver’s repairs due to an accident caused by you.

That said, those minimum liability coverage amounts can make you vulnerable to a lot of risk—if a driver injures you in a car accident but only carries Idaho’s minimum liability coverage, your medical costs could easily outpace the at-fault driver’s coverage. Or, even worse, the at-fault driver could have no coverage at all,leaving you on the hook to cover your own medical expenses in an accident that you did not cause.

The cost of an ER visit to an Idaho hospital is not cheap. It costs an average of $2,159 per visit, ranking it the

8th most expensive state

per ER visitin the country. Tack on surgical bills, ambulance costs, rehabilitation expenses, lost wages, disability costs, and the impact on your future earning potential, and it's easy to see how a serious injury could cost much more than what Idaho’s minimum liability coverage provides.

What’s available

If you’re wondering what kind of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to buy in Idaho, it falls into two categories:

Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UM/UMBI) pays for your and any passengers’ medical costs should you be injured in an accident with an uninsured driver.

Underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UIM/UIMBI) pays for your and any passengers’ medical expenses if you are injured in an accident with a driver who doesn’t have enough coverage.

The good news is that all insurance companies in Idaho are legally required to offer both uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. If you want to opt-out of this coverage, you’ll need to do so in writing.

What it covers

In general, UM/UIM coverage will cover medical expenses for you and your passengers. Those costs are not limited to ER visits, however. Here’s what else UM/UIM should cover in Idaho:

Lost wages

Future medical expenses

Long-term rehab or nursing care

Medical devices or equipment, such as a wheelchair

Home retrofitting to accommodate needs due to a motor vehicle accident

Pain and suffering (under certain circumstances)

Adding UM/UIM coverage to your car insurance policy can be extremely helpful should you or a loved one find yourselves injured after a car accident. This insurance add-on is an easy and affordable way to stay safe and solvent in case you are hurt in a collision.

How to make a claim

If you’re involved in an accident, first check on the well-being of any other drivers and their passengers—if someone needs medical attention, call 911. If everyone is ok, be sure to exchange insurance information with the other driver. If the driver has no liability coverage,or onlythe minimum amount of coverage,you should file an uninsured motorist claim.

Filing a UM/UIM claim should be pretty straightforward. Call your insurer and explain what happened. Provide them all documentation, medical records, traffic reports, and any medical bills you have. The more documentation you can provide your insurers, the easier it will be for the insurer to evaluate your case.

If your medical expenses go beyond your UM/UIM coverage, you’ll need to cover those costs out of pocket.

MORE:

Here’s what happens if you’re in a car accident without insurance

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Why it’s a good idea to buy uninsured motorist insurance in Idaho

We’ve heard it before—lots of drivers don’t want to pay extra for UM/UIM coverage, instead opting for the

state minimums

and then hoping and praying nothing goes wrong. But that added cost (which is pretty cheap for Idaho drivers) can do an awful lot to protect you and your passengers on the road. Just consider the dangers:

More than 13% of Idaho drivers are uninsured

That’s nearly 160,000 Idaho drivers on the road without any insurance whatsoever. If one of those drivers causes an accident that injures you and/or your passengers, you’ll be on the hook for your own medical expenses, which can quickly spiral out of control. Considering this, why wouldn’t you add UM/UIM coverage to your policy?

Hit-and-run accidents

What’s worse than being involved in an accident where the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough coverage? If the at-fault driver flees the scene. If you’re involved in a

hit-and-run accident

and can’t identify the at-fault driver, you’ll be on the hook for your own medical costs without UM/UIM coverage and/or collision coverage.

MORE:

Should I get a lawyer after a hit-and-run accident?

Idaho’s minimums won’t cover everything

Even if you’re injured in an accident by a driver with the minimum amount of liability coverage, that might not be enough to cover your or your passengers’ injuries. If that’s the case, and you don’t have UIM coverage, you or your injured passenger would be on the hook for covering any outstanding medical bills, which can quickly get expensive.

How to save on uninsured motorist coverage in Idaho

The only reason not to buy UM/UIM insurance is the added cost—but considering the added protection this coverage offers, it really is a no-brainer to this protection. If cost is an issue, use

Jerry

, the

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policy at an affordable price!

Sign-up takes just 45 seconds, and then Jerry gets to work comparing quotes from more than 50 top insurers to ensure you get the best policy at a price you can afford. Once you pick your new policy, Jerry signs you up and helps you cancel your old one. Best of all? The average Jerry user saves more than $800 per year on car insurance!