Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Virginia: Do You Need It?
Uninsured motorist coverage isn’t a legal requirement in Virginia—but it’s definitely worth having.
Written by Zachary Morgan
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Uninsured motorist coverage isn’t legally required in Virginia, but it’s a worthwhile protection considering in-state drivers can opt out of the state’s minimum insurance requirements by paying a $500 fee.
Like many other states, Virginia’s legal car insurance minimums include
bodily injury liability
(BIL) and property damage liability
, but the Old Dominion is unique in that it offers a loophole so that its motorists aren’t technically required to have insurance. It’s a good idea to add uninsured motorist coverage to your policy in case you’re ever in an accident with one of these drivers.Jerry
, the world’s first super app for car owners and the maestro of saving money on car insurance
, is here to help you decide whether getting uninsured motorist coverage is a good idea for you. We’ll even show you how to bring down your Virginia car insurance costs
without reducing your coverage!RECOMMENDED
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Do you need uninsured motorist coverage in Virginia?
Virginia law does not require
uninsured motorist coverage
since all drivers have the option of paying a $500 fee to opt out of state insurance minimums. However, if a driver does decide to get insured, then they are obliged to get $25,000/$50,000 in uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person/accident as well as $20,000 in uninsured motorist property damage insurance per accident.The
Insurance Information Institute (III)
currently estimates that roughly 10.5% of all drivers in Virginia are uninsured, making it the 31st worst state in the country for uninsured drivers.31 out of 50 might not seem too bad, but you still have a one in ten chance of getting involved in an accident with an uninsured driver. Once you include the percentage of people who only have
liability insurance
, there’s a very likely chance you could be involved in an accident with a driver whose insurance won’t sufficiently cover your costs.Luckily, that’s what uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is for. Adding this coverage to your policy can cover any gaps between the other driver’s insurance (or lack thereof) and your own bodily injury liability to make sure that important medical expenses are accounted for.
Fortunately, UM/UIM coverage is an inexpensive addition to your policy. Since Virginia does not have nearly as many uninsured drivers as other states, many drivers can expect to pay only around $50 to $100 per year for UM/UIM coverage.
How uninsured motorist insurance works in Virginia
Let’s take a closer look, shall we?
Virginia’s car insurance laws
follow a “25/50/20” scheme and include both liability insurance and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which translates to:- $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person
- $50,000 of bodily injury liability per accident
- $20,000 of property damage liability per accident
Bodily injury protection is meant to pay for other drivers’ medical expenses in the event of an accident, while property damage liability covers any damage inflicted on their vehicle and/or personal property.
Remember, though, that this is merely the amount of insurance you need to legally be able to drive in Virginia (so long as you opt to be insured). While sticking with the bare minimum can save you some money in the short term, it’s still a precarious move that can easily lead to a situation where all that money you saved (and more) goes right out the window.
Case in point, were you aware that Virginia is the
11th most expensive state
for ER visits, with an average bill approaching $2,000? Once you factor in all the other costs like ambulance fees and lost wages, the true cost of a serious injury far outstrips the minimum coverage limit enforced by Virginia law.Compare insurance quotes from 50+ carriers with Jerry in under 45 seconds
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What kind of uninsured motorist coverage should you buy in Virginia, then?
Well, the available UM/UIM insurance can be divided into two major categories:
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UM/UMBI) takes care of both you and your passengers’ medical expenses in the event of an accident with an uninsured driver.
- Underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UIM/UIMBI) pays the rest of your medical expenses if the other driver’s liability insurance isn’t enough to cover it.
Remember that if you choose to be insured in Virginia, then a certain amount of UM/UIM coverage is mandatory but also that every in-state driver has the option of paying a fee and waiving their minimum insurance requirements.
What it covers
For the most part, UM/UIM coverage in Virginia covers medical expenses and hospital bills for both you and your passengers, but that’s not the full extent of it, either. UM/UIM coverage also typically covers:
- Any future medical expenses
- Pain and suffering (meeting certain criteria)
- Medical mobility devices like wheelchairs or crutches
- Construction or refit work in your home to accommodate a disability caused by the accident
- Chores or services that you can no longer perform (laundry, cutting grass, etc.)
- Long-term rehab or nursing care
- Lost wages
Medical expenses should be the last thing you need to worry about if you or a loved one are injured in an accident. Making sure that UM/UIM coverage is included in your policy is a great, inexpensive way to insulate your family and yourself from the economic fallout that often follows such an accident.
How to make a claim
After a car accident
, you should try to exchange both contact and insurance information with the other parties involved. If you or a passenger are injured as a result of the accident and the other driver(s) have insufficient bodily injury insurance (or none at all), then you should file a UM/UIM claim with your insurance provider.This is a fairly simple process that begins with calling your insurance company. Once you get your agent on the phone, you’ll need to explain what happened and give them any documents you might have, including:
- Medical records
- Traffic crash reports
- Hospital/doctor bills
- Any photos you might have taken at the scene
The more documents you provide, the better, because it will make your case evaluation that much easier.
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Why it’s a good idea to buy uninsured motorist insurance in Virginia
Many people choose to adhere to state minimums or pay the $500 opt-out fee merely because it’s cheaper to do so. At Jerry, we definitely understand the urge to save money (it’s kind of our thing after all), but this is also one reason why we believe that UM/UIM coverage is a price worth paying. Here are a few more reasons to consider UM/UIM coverage in Virginia.
Virginia is #5 in the nation for hit-and-run accidents, among other things
If you’re unlucky enough to be involved in a hit-and-run accident, UM/UIM coverage will help cover the damages.
The state of Virginia currently has the fifth-highest number of
hit-and-run
accidents where the at-fault driver fled the scene. Of course, if the other driver runs away, then you probably won’t have time to exchange insurance information with them. If you’re involved in a hit-and-run accident, you won’t be able to file a claim with the other driver’s insurance provider.To recoup any damages from a Virginia hit-and-run accident, you’ll need uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, collision coverage, or personal injury protection. With that being the case, adding these extra coverages to your policy is definitely worth your consideration.
Roughly one in ten Virginia drivers is uninsured
Virginia doesn’t have nearly as many uninsured drivers as other states, but the risks remain.
As we’ve mentioned, Virginia is one of a small handful of states that allows drivers to completely opt out of the legal minimum insurance requirements. Anyone who pays the DMV a $500 fee is allowed to drive around with no insurance—and no protection for others if they are involved in an accident.
There’s a roughly 10% chance that the other party involved in an accident will be driving uninsured. This represents a serious risk to you and your vehicle, because who is expected to pay for damages in that situation? Purchasing UM/UIM coverage is a good way to mitigate the risk of being in a collision with an uninsured driver.
How to save on uninsured motorist coverage in Virginia
Even though it usually only costs around $100 a year, many drivers choose not to spring for UM/UIM insurance. If you’re worried about spending the extra money,
Jerry
can give you a hand. Jerry is a
trustworthy licensed broker app
that offers the simplest way to compare and shop for quotes. All you have to do is download the app or visit our website and enter your personal information. In less than a minute, we’ll generate a customized list of quotes gathered from 55+ of the nation’s top-rated insurers—just for you.We’ll walk you through the whole process, and we can even help cancel your old policy if you find a new one you like better. We saved the best for last, though, because Jerry customers save an average of more than $800 a year on their car insurance!
“The savings are real!Jerrysaved me almost $1000 a year for my car insurance. Was I surprised? Yes. Was I happy? Yes!” —Sonia Z.
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