8+ years writing for major outlets, including MarketWatch and Business Insider
Master’s in Education
Taylor Mlam-Samuel is a personal finance writer and credentialed educator. When she’s not helping readers better save and spend money, she can be found teaching.
Background working with banks and insurance companies
Sarah enjoys helping people find smarter ways to spend their money. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans.
Mark FriedlanderDirector, Corporate Communications, Triple-I
Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.
Why you can trust Insurify: Comparing accurate insurance quotes should never put you at risk of spam. We earn an agent commission only if you buy a policy based on our quotes. Our editorial team follows a rigorous set of editorial standards and operates independently from our insurance partners. Learn more.
Cheapest recent rates
Drivers have found policies from Kemper RSVP, Dairyland, Direct Auto, and more, for rates as low as $37/mo. through Insurify
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on November 20, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from November 20, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on November 20, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from November 20, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage pays for your medical bills and car repairs when a driver without car insurance hits you. It also protects you if you’re involved in a hit-and-run incident. Drivers typically combine UM with underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, which applies when the at-fault driver doesn’t have enough insurance.
Some states mandate UM/UIM coverage, but even when it’s not required, experts recommend adding it to your policy since 14% of drivers don’t have insurance.[1]
Find Cheap Car Insurance
Liability rates start as low as $16 per month
Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Based on 3,806+ reviews
4.8/5
What does uninsured motorist insurance cover?
Uninsured motorist insurance helps cover the cost of medical bills for you and your passengers when an uninsured driver causes an accident. It also pays for your vehicle repairs. The primary benefit of UM coverage is that you won’t have to pay out of pocket when another driver is at fault — even if they don’t have insurance.
After an accident, your insurance company will try to recover the payment from the at-fault driver’s insurer. But it’s impossible to get payment if the other driver doesn’t have coverage. The same is true if you’re the victim of a hit-and-run accident. UM coverage simplifies the process and allows you to file a claim through your insurer.[2]
Uninsured motorist policies have two types of coverage: bodily injury and property damage. Here’s what they include.
Uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI)
This coverage pays for accident-related medical bills for you and your passengers.
Uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD)
This coverage helps pay for vehicle repairs.
Underinsured motorist coverage
Underinsured motorist coverage helps pay for your medical bills and vehicle repairs when the at-fault driver doesn’t have adequate coverage. For example, let’s say your car is totaled, and the adjuster reports that the car’s value is $30,000.
The other driver only has property damage liability insurance for up to $20,000, which doesn’t cover the total amount. Your underinsured motorist coverage would pay the difference.
Good to Know
Both underinsured and uninsured motorist insurance help protect you when the at-fault driver doesn’t have enough coverage. Whether the other driver has any insurance determines which coverage to use.
Do you need uninsured motorist coverage?
UM and UIM coverage is only mandatory in some states. But most drivers can benefit from the extra protection. Adding it to an existing policy is usually inexpensive, and it can help you save thousands of dollars if an uninsured driver causes an accident.
Full-coverage insurance, which includes comprehensive, liability, and collision coverage, usually also includes UM/UIM. But it’s important to confirm your coverage details with your insurer since this can vary from one company and policy to the next.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist laws by state
Many states mandate uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage as part of their minimum insurance requirements. Other states don’t require the coverage, but you can add it to your policy for an extra cost.[3]
States that require UM/UIM coverage require different amounts, and laws may change, so be sure to check with your state about local insurance requirements.
Here are some states that mandate coverage and their requirements.
$25,000 for injury or death of one person, per accident and $50,000 for injury or death of two or more people per accident in uninsured/underinsured coveragee
$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in uninsured motorist bodily injury and $25,000 per accident for uninsured motorist property damage; a $200 deductible usually applies
$50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident in uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage and $10,000 per accident in uninsured/underinsured property damage coverage (a $150 deductible usually applies)
$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage and $5,000 per accident in underinsured property damage coverage
$25,000 for one person and $50,000 for two or more people in uninsured motorist coverage
Compare Car Insurance Quotes
Check quotes from 100+ top insurance companies
Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Based on 3,806+ reviews
4.8/5
How much does uninsured motorist coverage cost?
While the cost of uninsured motorist coverage varies by state and your unique driving profile, it’s usually inexpensive to add this coverage to your car insurance policy. Your policy already includes the coverage if you live in a state that requires UM/UIM coverage. And most full-coverage car insurance policies also include the coverage.
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Uninsured motorist coverage FAQs
Uninsured motorist coverage can be an important and inexpensive part of your insurance policy. Check out the additional information about this coverage below.
What is the disadvantage of uninsured motorist coverage?
The biggest disadvantage of uninsured motorist coverage is that it can increase the cost of your insurance policy. But the coverage is usually worth the cost since it provides financial protection when an uninsured driver causes an accident. It pays for your medical bills and vehicle repairs.
Does uninsured motorist insurance coverage protect you when a motorist leaves the scene of an accident?
Yes. This coverage protects you when a motorist leaves the scene of an accident without exchanging information. It doesn’t matter whether the other driver provides insurance information or has coverage. Hit-and-runs fall under this category too.
What is the underinsured motorist law in New York?
You must have at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in New York. Drivers in New York must have the minimum coverage amounts.[4]
Does Arizona have uninsured motorist property damage?
The state of Arizona doesn’t mandate coverage for uninsured motorist property damage. But if you add the coverage, it must cover at least $15,000 worth of property damage. The limits for bodily injury are higher — $25,000 for one person and $50,000 for two or more people.[5]
What is the difference between uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage?
Uninsured motorist coverage protects you when the other driver doesn’t have any insurance or if you’re the victim of a hit-and-run. Underinsured motorist coverage, on the other hand, helps when the other driver doesn’t have enough coverage to pay for the total costs of your damage and injuries.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
No additional coverage
Full-coverage premium averages correspond to the same bodily injury and property damage limits in addition to:
Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
Taylor Milam-Samuel is a writer and credentialed educator who is fascinated by how people earn, save, and spend their money. When she's not researching financial terms and conditions, she can be found in the classroom teaching.
Background working with banks and insurance companies
Sarah enjoys helping people find smarter ways to spend their money. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans.
Mark FriedlanderDirector, Corporate Communications, Triple-I
Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
)
)
){kind=logo}
){kind=small}
){kind=logo}
)
)
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)