Uninsured motorist coverage
For when the person who caused it can't pay for it.
Uninsured motorist coverage steps in when someone causes an accident and has no liability insurance to pay for it. In many states it also responds to a hit-and-run where the driver is never identified.
It's easy to skip because it protects against someone else's failure, which feels abstract right up until it isn't.
When it responds
- The at-fault driver carries no insurance
- The at-fault driver's policy has lapsed
- A hit-and-run where the driver isn't identified, in many states
- In some states, a driver whose insurer has become insolvent
Two parts, sometimes sold separately
Uninsured motorist bodily injury covers injuries to you and your passengers. Uninsured motorist property damage covers your vehicle, though it isn't available in every state.
Where property damage isn't offered, collision coverage is what responds to your car — which is one practical reason to carry it even on an older vehicle.
Why the limits should usually match your liability
People often carry high liability limits and minimal uninsured motorist coverage, which is backwards in effect: it protects strangers from you better than it protects your own household from a stranger.
Matching the two is a common approach, and in some states insurers are required to offer uninsured motorist coverage at your liability limits unless you decline it in writing.
Requirements vary by state
Some states require this coverage, some require it be offered and allow a written rejection, and some leave it optional. Whether hit-and-run counts also varies.
Our state pages list which of the states we cover compel it. It's worth checking yours rather than assuming.
Common questions
Required and actually insured are different things. Uninsured motorist coverage exists precisely because the requirement isn't universally met.
In many states yes, though rules differ and some require physical contact between vehicles. Worth confirming for your state and policy.
Many people match them to their liability limits, on the reasoning that your household's exposure to an uninsured driver is no smaller than a stranger's exposure to you.
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This page is general information, not advice about your specific circumstances. A licensed insurance professional can tell you what’s actually available to you.
General information only, not insurance advice. Coverage, availability, and terms vary by insurer and by state, and are subject to underwriting. Quote My Policy LLC is a licensed insurance producer. Nothing here binds coverage.