What is Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

What is Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage? The short answer...it will cover you, under the  liability portion of an auto policy, in case you are hit by a driver with either no insurance or not enough to cover your damages.

If a driver or owner of a vehicle does not have insurance and is legally liable for an accident, you can use Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage for injuries, including death, that you, your resident relatives, and occupants of your insured vehicle sustain, up to the limits you select. Certain exclusions may apply. Refer to your policy.

If a driver or owner of a vehicle is legally liable for an accident but does not have enough insurance, you can use Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage for injuries, including death, that you, your resident relatives, and occupants of your insured vehicle sustain, up to the limits you select. Certain exclusions may apply. Refer to your policy.

If driver or owner of a vehicle is legally liable for an accident but does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance, you can use Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Property Damage Coverage (UMPD) to cover damage to your insured vehicle, up to the limits you select. In some states, UMPD is available as an alternative to Collision coverage. Certain exclusions may apply. Refer to your policy.

So what's the bottom line? Though it is not currently a requirement in California, most Insurance Agents and Brokers highly recommend this coverage. It is usually not much more money to include it on your policy, $5-$10 additional per month on average, but the piece of mind and potential benefit in the case of an accident are worth it.

​For more information on Auto Insurance coverage, call or email us today!

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