Is It Worth Paying for Uninsured Motorist Coverage
For most drivers it's worth having, because it covers a gap your own insurer otherwise leaves open.
Yes, for most drivers it's worth the cost
If another driver hits you and has no insurance, or not enough of it, your own health insurance and savings are what's left to cover your injuries and your car. Uninsured motorist coverage is what stands between you and that outcome. It pays out as if the other driver carried the insurance they were supposed to carry.
It matters more the older you are, because an injury from a crash tends to cost more to treat and takes longer to recover from. It also matters more if you'd struggle to cover a large medical bill or a totaled car out of pocket. Some states require this coverage already. In the ones that don't, your agent can tell you what it costs to add and what it would have paid out in a claim like the ones they see.
Whether your state requires it already
Some states require insurers to offer uninsured motorist coverage, and some go further and require drivers to carry it unless they sign a waiver turning it down. Others leave it entirely optional. This changes both the cost and the decision in front of you.
If your state requires it, you're likely already paying for some amount of it, and the real question is whether that amount is enough. If your state leaves it optional, you may have been asked to waive it when you first bought the policy, often without much explanation of what that waiver meant.
Check your policy declarations page for a line that says uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. If it's there, look at the dollar limit next to it. If it's missing, or you waived it years ago, call your insurer and ask what it would cost to add.
How much coverage is enough is also a state question. Some states set a minimum amount for uninsured motorist coverage, separate from their minimum for liability coverage. Ask your insurer what the minimum is where you live and whether it matches the liability limits you already carry.
What your health insurance and savings would actually cover
The case for uninsured motorist coverage gets stronger the less you want to rely on your own health insurance and savings after a crash that wasn't your fault.
Health insurance will cover emergency treatment, but it won't replace lost income if you can't work during recovery, and it won't pay for pain and suffering the way a liability claim would. Underinsured motorist coverage fills that gap when the other driver has some insurance but not enough to cover what happened.
If you have substantial savings and a health plan with a low deductible, the coverage protects less for you than it would for someone relying on Medicare alone or working with a tighter budget. That's worth weighing honestly against what adding the coverage costs on your renewal.
Many people also don't realize this coverage applies if you're hit as a pedestrian or while riding in someone else's car, not only while driving your own. That's worth asking your agent about directly, since it isn't always obvious from the policy language.
Questions people ask about this
Does uninsured motorist coverage cover a hit and run?
In most states, yes, a hit and run is treated the same as being hit by an uninsured driver, since the other driver can't be identified or doesn't have insurance on record. Check with your insurer on what proof they need, since some require a police report filed within a certain window.
Is underinsured motorist coverage different from uninsured motorist coverage?
Yes, underinsured motorist coverage applies when the other driver has insurance but their limits aren't enough to cover your costs. Uninsured motorist coverage applies when they have none at all. Many policies bundle both together under one limit, so ask your insurer how yours is structured.
Can I be denied a claim if I waived uninsured motorist coverage?
Yes, if you signed a written waiver declining the coverage, your insurer generally won't pay out for it later, even if you change your mind after a crash. If you waived it in the past, ask your insurer whether you can add it back before your next renewal.
Does uninsured motorist coverage raise my premium by much?
It depends on your state and your insurer, since some states require a baseline amount already built into your premium. Ask your agent for a side by side quote showing your premium with and without it, so you can see the actual difference for your policy.
Will my own insurance rate go up if I use uninsured motorist coverage after a crash that wasn't my fault?
This depends on your insurer and your state's rules on surcharging after not at fault claims. Ask your insurer directly how they treat an uninsured motorist claim before you file one, since the answer varies by company.
See what it would cost to add or raise this coverage before your next renewal.
Pull out your current policy's declarations page and find the line for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. If you can't find it or the limit looks low next to your liability limits, call your insurer this week and ask two things: what the state minimum is where you live, and what it would cost to raise your limit to match your liability coverage. If you waived this coverage in the past, ask whether you can add it back now. Have your policy number and renewal date ready when you call, since the answer may differ depending on where you are in your policy term.
