Uninsured motorist

Uninsured motorist refers to a driver who lacks liability insurance at the time of an accident. Uninsured motorist coverage pays for bodily injuries or property damage when you collide with a driver who has no insurance, as defined by the Insurance Information Institute.

In 2021, the Insurance Research Council estimated that 12.6% of US drivers were uninsured. Most US states, like Texas and Florida, require insurers to offer uninsured motorist coverage as an option or mandate; in contrast, New Hampshire and Virginia do not.

Uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) covers medical expenses for policyholders and passengers if struck by an uninsured driver. Uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) compensates for vehicle or property repairs after accidents caused by uninsured drivers.

Insurers exclude UMPD in some states–California offers only UMBI unless you add collision coverage. Policy limits for UM coverage usually match your liability limits–for example, $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident in many policies like State Farm’s standard offerings.

Filing a claim under uninsured motorist coverage may increase future premiums with companies like GEICO, which evaluates all claims history regardless of fault, as reported by the Insurance Information Database. Hit-and-run drivers qualify as uninsured motorists under most policies; Allstate and Progressive explicitly list hit-and-runs as covered incidents.

Deductibles for UMPD typically range from $100 to $300, according to data from Progressive and Farmers Insurance. Stacking allows combining UM coverage across multiple vehicles–21 states permit stacking; Pennsylvania and Georgia are notable examples.

Proof of other driver’s lack of insurance often requires a police report or insurer documentation before processing a claim; this is standard among US providers such as Nationwide and Liberty Mutual.