Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Utah: Do You Need It?
Uninsured motorist coverage is not a legal requirement in Utah—but driving without it can put you at serious financial risk.
Written by Mariza Morin
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Uninsured motorist coverage
isn’t required in the Beehive State, but it might be worth the extra expense as Utah
is a no-fault state
with the worst road rage incidents in the nation. Do you need uninsured motorist coverage in Utah?
Uninsured motorist coverage is not required by the state of Utah—but should you get it anyway?
According to the most recent study from the
Insurance Information Institute (III)
, roughly 6.5% of all drivers in Utah are uninsured, ranking it at No. 9 among the states with the fewest uninsured drivers on the road. So if you live in Utah, that’s pretty great news!But at the same time, Utah is a no-fault state. So if you get into an accident with an uninsured driver and your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage doesn’t cover all the expenses associated with a crash, then any remaining out-of-pocket costs are solely on you.
That’s why Utah drivers should consider uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. It picks up where your PIP coverage might leave you hanging to help cover important medical expenses if you suffer a serious injury from a car wreck. And the best part is that it’s relatively cheap to add to your policy: drivers pay as little as $50 to $75 per year on average in Utah.
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How uninsured motorist insurance works in Utah
Minimum auto insurance requirements in the Beehive State—known as 25/65/15—require $25,000 for
bodily injury liability
per person, $65,000 for bodily injury liability per accident, and $15,000 for property damage liability
. And as a no-fault state, Utah drivers are also required to carry a minimum limit of $3,000 per person in personal injury protection (PIP)
.However, that’s the only car insurance you need to legally drive in Utah. While adhering to
Utah's car insurance laws
might be easy on your wallet now, you might be putting yourself at risk later. And even though Utah isn’t the most expensive state for ER visits
, you can still expect to pay about $1,464 per ER visit if you get into a serious car accident—not to mention bearing the costs of any possible ambulance bill, medical expenses, or lost wages. What’s available
So what are your options for uninsured motorist coverage in Utah?
The UM/UIM insurance available in Utah falls into two categories:
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UM/UMBI), which helps cover the medical expenses of you and your passengers after an accident with an uninsured driver
- Underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UIM/UIMBI), which helps cover your medical expenses if the other driver doesn’t have sufficient funds to cover your costs
Because Utah is a no-fault state, every driver must also carry PIP—but that $3,000 limit may not get you very far if you suffer significant damages. Although UMBI nor UIMBI are required by Utah,
Section 31A-22-305
of the Utah Code does require insurance companies to offer UMBI and/or UIMBI coverage. You’ll have to decline in writing if you want to waive this coverage.What it covers
UM/UIM bodily injury coverage offered in Utah is intended to cover medical expenses for you and your passengers. But UM/UIM insurance coverage will also help pay for:
- Future medical bills
- Loss of income
- Rehabilitation costs
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral costs
Getting into an auto accident is stressful enough without simultaneously having to worry about how you’re going to pay for your own medical costs. By adding UM coverage or UIM coverage to your current auto insurance policy, you can give yourself peace of mind from the possible financial burden that could consequently impact you and your passengers.
How to make a claim
After a car accident
, both parties must exchange insurance information with each other. But if the other driver doesn’t have insurance, then it’s time to file a UM/UIM claim. Filing a car insurance claim
with your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is a rather easy process. All you have to do is call your insurance provider, explain the details, and provide important documents like a police report, along with medical records and bills. Remember, the more documents you can showcase, the easier your case will be to evaluate. But if your medical expenses or damages go beyond your uninsured motorist insurance limit, you’ll have to cover the remaining costs through your health insurance or by other means.
Why it’s a good idea to buy uninsured motorist insurance in Utah
Adding uninsured motorist insurance to your policy may seem like an extra unnecessary expense to some drivers in Utah who’d rather stick to the state minimum coverage. While that may be true in some circumstances, there are some reasons to consider this coverage too.
Utah is a no-fault state
As a no-fault state, drivers in Utah that get into a car accident are not expected to compensate the other driver no matter who is at fault. So along with the minimum required liability insurance, you’re also obligated to purchase
no-fault PIP insurance
to cover your own medical expenses if you’re injured. But Utah’s minimum PIP limit is $3,000—which might not be enough to cover all your medical costs or damages depending on the severity of the accident. Carrying uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage will help protect you after an accident if you run out of personal injury protection coverage.
MORE:
Utah car accident laws
Utah is the worst state for road rage incidents in the nation
Even though Utahns have often been rated as some of the most friendly residents in the United States, behind the wheel is another story. In fact, a
recent Forbes study
shows that Utah tops the list among states with the most confrontational drivers. Of those surveyed, about 27% or one in four Utah drivers have reported that they know at least one person in their state that has been injured due to a road rage accident. And what happens to you if the road rage driver speeds off after causing an accident? Unless you carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, collision insurance, or have enough personal injury protection, you’ll be responsible for covering your own damages after a
Utah hit-and-run
accident.6.5% of Utah drivers are uninsured
As we’ve mentioned before, Utah has some uninsured drivers on the road. While the Beehive State’s uninsured numbers are nowhere near that of
Mississippi
or Florida
, you still don’t want to put yourself at risk in case your PIP coverage falls short. So to err on the side of caution, it might be worth the extra cost to add UM/UIM coverage to your policy. How to save on uninsured motorist coverage in Utah
The main reason many Utah drivers opt out of uninsured motorist coverage is the additional cost. And we completely get it! But if financial concerns are keeping you from adding UM coverage to your policy,
Jerry
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car insurance
when they switch! At this rate, you should be able to add UM insurance coverage and still save money. “UsingJerryis a super straightforward process, and at each step, you can see exactly what coverage you’re paying for. Thanks to Jerry, I’m paying $900 less each year while keeping full coverage for my new car!” —Martin H.
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