Uninsured/Under-insured (UM) is additional insurance coverage meant to protect you if the at-fault driver has no insurance or is under-insured and cannot pay your outstanding bills. UM is also extremely beneficial in the case of hit-and-run accidents.
If your $10,000 PIP coverage is exhausted and your bills soar because you need additional medical attention, who’s going to pay?
There are 4 types of UM coverage:
- Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury (UMBI) – If you are hit by an uninsured, at-fault driver, UMBI covers your bodily injuries (BI).
- UM Property Damage (UMPD) – If you are hit by an uninsured, at-fault driver, UMPD covers the property damage (PD) to your vehicle.
- Under-insured Motorist Bodily Injury (UIMBI) – If you are hit by an at-fault driver who’s insurance coverage is insufficient, UIMBI covers your BI.
- Under-insured Motorist Property Damage (UNDPD) – If you are hit by an at-fault driver who’s insurance coverage is insufficient, UNDPD will cover your PD.
Some states will bundle UM and UIM as UM/UIM, while others will provide the coverage separately. The most advised coverage is UMBI, which covers you, the insured members of your household, and your passengers for bodily injuries, damages, or death caused by an at-fault driver who is uninsured, or in case of hit or miss-and-run driver.
It is highly recommended that drivers add UM coverage to their policy. Below, we put together a map using the 2016 statistics from the Insurance Research Council that shows which states have the highest rate of drivers without insurance- and that puts other drivers at risk. In the United States, it is estimated that a total of 30 million drivers are uninsured; that’s about 12.6% of drivers nationwide.
Drivers in these states have a higher risk of getting stuck with out-of-pocket costs in the post-accident process. It is important to consider what to add to your coverage so you are fully protected and can recover all your losses regardless of whether the other parties involved have insurance or not.
Not sure what to do? Contact legal experts so they can find out what is best for you, but don’t wait. Coverage expires in after a certain amount of time depending on your state. In Florida, you have 14 days to report a claim, while you have 30 days in New York.
If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident, don’t wait. You only have 14 days to report an injury after an accident. If you’re seriously injured and are at risk of exceeding your maximum benefits, call us as soon as possible at 1-800-Injured, and we will connect your to a team of car accident lawyers who will take prompt action to ensure you get the full benefits and aren’t left with out-of-pocket expenses. If you aren’t sure what you insurance will cover, we can gather all the information for you, so you can focus on getting back on track. Accidents are stressful enough. We’re here to take the additional stress away, so you can get back to your daily life.