If you’re looking for the best auto insurance quotes and coverage, then you have to know a thing or two about the market as well as the various forms of auto insurance on it. Each type of coverage is designed for a specific circumstances, and you don’t want to end up wasting money on car insurance that you won’t even end up using, or the opposite - not having car insurance coverage for a specific situation you are facing.
To that end, we’re going to take a deep look at uninsured motorist coverage. We’ll discuss what is uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and when does uninsured motorist coverage apply. We’ll also cover how much uninsured motorist coverage you may need based on the state that you live in with the help of a table that covers the minimum coverage for each of the 20 states in which it’s mandated.
Uninsured motorist coverage, or uninsured motorist clause, is an auto insurance policy extension that covers any injuries caused to you from uninsured drivers.
1/8 drivers on the road are uninsured, and the uninsured rate continues to rise.
So if an uninsured driver gets in to an auto accident with you, and the collision injures you in any level, he or she may not have any insurance and may not be able to afford your medical costs coverage.
Uninsured motorist insurance coverage, also known as uninsured motorist clause, may be your safest option to protect yourself from the recklessness of others on the road.
This is particularly important if you live in a state where many people are uninsured, which are usually the ones where accidents are less frequent.
Uninsured motorist insurance is actually two different kinds of car insurance merged into one. It consists of the aforementioned uninsured coverage, but it also comprises underinsured motorist coverage. Since these two are functionally identical, they’re always merged into the same policy.
As you would expect from the name, this kind of car insurance is designed to kick in when the driver at fault for the accident is uninsured or underinsured. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the other driver was in the wrong, as the term “underinsured” also encompasses drivers who have reached their policy limits.
In case the other driver doesn’t have car insurance that can pay out for your bodily injuries or the damage to your vehicle, this form of car insurance will kick in and provide you with the required amount of coverage. This amount will come from your own car insurance company instead of the at-fault driver’s.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage will ensure that you’re never left in dire financial straits because you ended up getting into an accident with someone who was driving uninsured. It is also popular in states where insurance coverage is not mandatory, such as Virginia.
There are two forms of uninsured motorist coverage that you can opt for, and some states may require one or both of them, depending on their insurance legislation. The two varieties are uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage and uninsured motorist property damage coverage.
As the name suggests, this form of insurance is designed to cover your medical bills and related expenses if you end up getting injured in a collision with someone who doesn’t have car insurance. In no fault states with PIP (Personal Injury Protection) insurance plans, UMBI may be required to make up for your PIP insurance.
UMBI is still used in no fault states because it typically offers higher payout limits for a lower price than comparable PIP plans. This is because you’re less likely to need UMBI coverage than PIP coverage in no fault states, so it’s less of a risk for insurers to charge lower rates for this type of coverage.
This is about as self-explanatory as UMBI, as this form of uninsured motorist insurance is used to ensure that you have enough money to repair your vehicle after you get into a crash with an uninsured motorist. Along with your repairs, UMPD can also be used to cover rental car expenses and collision deductibles.
Depending on the state, UMPD may automatically apply to each vehicle on the policy. However, if you’re in a state where UMPD isn’t legally mandated, then you may need to add this kind of coverage individually for each vehicle that you own.
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Uninsured motorist insurance is designed for more severe situations in which the driver at fault for the accident doesn’t have any form of liability car insurance coverage. While it’s typically illegal to drive without car insurance, certain states don’t have mandatory car insurance, so it is slightly more common than you may think.
On the other hand, underinsured motorist insurance is used when someone doesn’t have enough of a policy limit to cover all of the damages that they caused. In these cases, your underinsured motorist policy will kick in and cover any expenses exceeding the other driver’s limit, up to the limit of the underinsured policy.
If you’re asking yourself how much uninsured motorist coverage you should get, that depends on the state that you’re living in. Since some states mandate uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, you’ll need to make sure that you have at least the minimum level of coverage required to legally drive in your state.
If you’re caught without the minimum amount of uninsured motorist coverage, then you’re accepting the risk that you may lose your license at any time. This is because driving underinsured can get your license instantly taken away from you and you may even require SR22 insurance to get it back.
To make sure that you always have the right level of uninsured motorist coverage, the following table will contain the minimum coverage levels for each state that mandates uninsured motorist insurance:
| State | Minimum amount of uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage required |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| Illinois | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| Kansas | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| Maine | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| Maryland | $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident |
| Massachusetts | $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident |
| Minnesota | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| Missouri | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| Nebraska | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| New Hampshire | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| New York | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| North Carolina | $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident |
| North Dakota | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| Oregon | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| South Carolina | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| South Dakota | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| Vermont | $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident |
| Virginia | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| West Virginia | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
| Wisconsin | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident |
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| State | Average UM insurance cost |
|---|---|
| California | $99 |
| Florida | $253 |
| Massachusetts | $16 |
| Maine | $21 |
| Ohio | $42 |
| Texas | $108 |
| Oregon | $46 |
1 / 5
I just received a letter in the mail today and it is from Liberty mutual insurance and it had9 items wrong for denying why they are not going to cover my vehicles. I just had the insurance 3months ago and nothing like this had shown up in my files You wouldn't believe how wrong they got my report wrong. I didn't even ask for insurance from them. DON'T BUY ANYTHING INSURANCE FROM THE COMPANY, THEY ARE A BIG FRAUD AND WILL BE REPORTED TO THE BBB. I GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL REGRET IT IF YOU DEAL WITH THESE IDIOTS. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT PUTTING YOUR HARD EARN MONEY IN THEIR COMPANY.
1 / 5
I just had an appalling experience trying to cancel my Mom's AAA insurance after she developed dementia and stopped driving. They threw up every barrier to what should have been a simple process, and even refused to accept my Power of Attorney documents electronically. The representative was extremely rude and copped an attitude. I think they refuse to close accounts so they can keep fraudulently charging non-driving seniors. This is a crooked company, and nobody should do business with them.
1 / 5
On May 10, 2023, I was involved in an accident with one of USAA's clients. Everything proceeded smoothly until they decided to give me the runaround in repairing my car or compensating me for its worth. The adjuster was nowhere to be found, and it took me a couple of months to receive any response from them. They informed me that my car was a total loss and provided a specific amount they were willing to pay for it via email, stating that I could dispute it if I could find a car in the same category with the same mileage within a 100-mile radius. Unfortunately, I couldn't find an exact match, but I did find a vehicle that was one year older and one year newer, so I disputed the price they were offering. They assured me they would get back to me in a couple of weeks, but I never heard from them again. Frustrated, I took the step of filing a complaint against them with the Texas Department of Insurance and the Office of the Attorney General. However, I received no assistance beyond the insurance company responding to me and denying my dispute without providing any tangible reasoning. This was after three months of back-and-forth since my car accident, with no access to a replacement vehicle or rental car. Now, it has been five months, and they are attempting to push the responsibility onto my own insurance. These actions indicate that these individuals are playing games with people's lives, and there seems to be no one holding them accountable. It is disheartening to realize that we live in a country that is supposed to protect average citizens from being taken advantage of by large companies like USAA, but this has proven to be far from the truth. I have lost trust in the entire system, and I am determined to stop paying insurance premiums to these corporate entities that seem only interested in taking our hard-earned money every day, without delivering the support they promise.
1 / 5
I was shopping for auto insurance on 11th September 2023. Liberty took$8614 out of my bank that same night without my permission. And now they will not return my hard earned money. Every time I call ,they give me sorry excuses. And now they tell me that ,yes we took your money by fraud. Go write your congressman. But we'll give it back to you in 15 days. Meanwhile my bills are piling. Liberty Mutual stole my money. Please avoid Liberty Mutual at every cost.
1 / 5
I have dealt with many auto insurance companies in my life time but none as deceitful as AAA!! I signed up with a AAA insurance agent back in March. The premium I was would be $138/month-(all good). The agent told me I had to pay 4 months in advance so I gave my credit card to pay for the 4 months including the current month. One month later I received my monthly invoice for payment. The amount due had jumped from $138 (monthly) to $276. I called AAA and they said this was because of an accident that occurred 5 months prior where the other driver was at fault, though the case was still had yet to be closed. AAA would not accept the quoted premium of $138/month. So I shopped for a new insurance policy. A division of Farmers Insurance (Toggle) sold me their auto policy which was superior to AAA at $118/month with only $500 deductible. I canceled AAA and jumped onto the Farmers policy. I contacted AAA to cancel the policy and requested the 3 months paid in advance be reimbursed to me. I was told that I would not be reimbursed and in fact I was still responsible for the premium payment of $276 - that this payment would not be forgiven. I have since filed a claim with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and if this fails I will take AAA to small claims court. Prior to this experience I respected the AAA name. I've learned that this company is simply TOO BIG and feel they can take advantage of their customers at will. I have since canceled EVERYTHING AAA (roadside service and an insurance policy). This big business corporation is NOT TO BE TRUSTED!!!!
Not all those who wander are lost.
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