UM/UIM: When the Other Driver Can’t Pay

• Uninsured drivers: Many drivers carry no insurance at all, despite legal requirements.
• Underinsured drivers: State minimum limits are often far too low for modern accidents.
• Hit-and-run crashes: No driver, no policy, no recovery—unless you’re protected.
• Delayed or denied claims: Even insured drivers can dispute liability or delay payment.

In these situations, the legal system may confirm fault—but there may be no realistic way to collect damages.

Liability establishes responsibility. UM/UIM establishes recovery.

UM/UIM coverage steps into the shoes of the at-fault driver when their insurance fails.

• Uninsured Motorist (UM): Applies when the at-fault driver has no insurance or flees the scene.
• Underinsured Motorist (UIM): Applies when the at-fault driver’s limits are exhausted.
• Bodily injury focus: Covers medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering.
• You are the insured: The coverage follows you and your household, not the other driver.

UM/UIM turns someone else’s lack of responsibility into your own safety net.

Serious accidents rarely resolve cleanly. Without UM/UIM, injured drivers often face a second battle—this time in court.

• Inadequate limits: A driver carrying $25,000 may cause six figures in injuries.
• Personal lawsuits: Suing an underinsured driver often produces judgments—not money.
• Medical liens: Hospitals and insurers may seek repayment directly from you.
• Lost leverage: Without coverage, negotiations collapse when funds run out.

UM/UIM claims are handled through your own policy, reducing litigation complexity and delays.

UM/UIM keeps injuries from turning into lawsuits that still don’t pay.

• Medical inflation: Emergency care, imaging, and surgery escalate costs rapidly.
• Modern vehicles: Heavier cars and higher speeds increase injury severity.
• Income loss: Missed work compounds financial damage beyond medical bills.
• Low minimums: Many states still require limits set decades ago.

An accident involving a modern SUV or EV can exceed minimum limits before the ambulance leaves the scene.

Minimum limits are legal compliance—not meaningful protection.

UM/UIM is not about the other driver—it’s about shielding your future.

• You and your passengers: Coverage applies regardless of fault.
• Your savings: Prevents medical bills from draining emergency funds.
• Your income: Helps replace wages lost during recovery.
• Your family: Protects dependents from long-term financial disruption.

UM/UIM protects the life you’re trying to get back to after a crash.

• Low cost per dollar: UM/UIM is typically inexpensive relative to the protection provided.
• High claim frequency: Uninsured and underinsured claims are common.
• Often overlooked: Many drivers unknowingly carry low or waived limits.

Drivers frequently focus on collision and comprehensive while underestimating liability gaps.

Few coverages deliver more protection per premium dollar than UM/UIM.

• Match liability limits: UM/UIM should generally equal your bodily injury limits.
• Consider umbrellas: Some umbrellas extend UM/UIM; many do not.
• Stacking rules: State laws vary—stacking can multiply protection.

Choosing low UM/UIM limits creates an uneven policy: strong protection for others, weak protection for yourself.

If you wouldn’t accept those limits from someone else, don’t accept them for yourself.

Does UM/UIM apply if I’m partially at fault?
It depends on state law and fault rules, but coverage often still applies proportionally.

Does UM/UIM cover property damage?
In some states, yes—but bodily injury is the primary protection and the most critical.

Can I waive UM/UIM?
In many states, yes—but doing so transfers the risk directly to you.