Uninsured Motorist Coverage for Seniors in Indiana
Indiana requires insurers to offer uninsured motorist coverage, and most drivers, including seniors, have good reason to keep it.
Yes, and your age does not change the rule
Indiana law requires insurers to offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on every auto policy. You can reject it in writing, but if you don't, it's part of your policy. There is no age exception either way. A senior driver is offered the same coverage, under the same terms, as anyone else.
What changes with age isn't the coverage itself, it's whether you still need it as much. If you drive less, or if your health coverage and savings would absorb a loss better than they used to, you might weigh the cost differently. But the legal offer and the way the coverage works stay the same at every age.
What this coverage actually pays for
Uninsured motorist coverage pays when the other driver has no insurance at all. Underinsured motorist coverage pays when they have insurance but not enough to cover what you're owed. Both apply to injuries to you and your passengers, and depending on your policy, to damage to your car.
For an older driver, this matters most around medical costs. If you're hurt in a crash caused by a driver with no insurance or too little, your own health coverage may pay first, but it often doesn't cover everything, and it may seek reimbursement later from any settlement you get. Uninsured motorist coverage fills that gap directly.
It also covers you as a pedestrian or a passenger in someone else's car, not just while you're driving. That's worth knowing if you walk more than you used to, or if a family member drives you places.
Check your declarations page to see your current limits. Many Indiana drivers carry the same uninsured motorist limits as their liability limits without realizing it, or realizing they could raise or lower them.
What people get wrong about dropping it
Some drivers assume that if they have good health insurance or Medicare, they don't need uninsured motorist coverage. Health coverage pays medical bills, but it doesn't pay for lost income, pain and suffering, or a totaled car. Uninsured motorist coverage can cover those too, depending on your policy.
Others assume their own liability coverage protects them if someone else causes a crash. It doesn't. Your liability coverage pays for damage you cause to others. It does nothing for you if an uninsured driver hits you.
Indiana has one of the higher rates of uninsured drivers in the country, which is part of why the state requires insurers to offer this coverage in the first place. That fact doesn't change with your age or how carefully you drive.
If you're thinking about dropping uninsured motorist coverage to lower your premium, ask your insurer what you'd actually be giving up, in terms of your specific limits, before you sign the rejection form.
Questions people ask about this
Can I reject uninsured motorist coverage in Indiana?
Yes, Indiana allows you to reject it, but you have to do it in writing. Without a signed rejection, the coverage stays on your policy by default. If you're not sure whether you ever signed one, ask your insurer to check your file.
Does uninsured motorist coverage go up in price as I get older?
This depends on your insurer, not a state rule. Some insurers adjust rates based on age and driving history, others weigh different factors more heavily. Ask your agent how your age specifically affects this part of your premium, since it's often priced separately from your liability coverage.
What happens if an uninsured driver hits my parked car?
Whether uninsured motorist coverage applies to parked car damage depends on whether you carry the property damage version of this coverage, which not all Indiana policies include automatically. Check your policy or ask your insurer whether your uninsured motorist coverage extends to vehicle damage or only to injuries.
Do I need underinsured motorist coverage if I already have uninsured motorist coverage?
In Indiana these are usually sold together as one combined coverage, but they protect against two different situations. Ask your insurer to confirm whether your policy includes both, since a driver with minimal insurance can leave you as exposed as one with none.
Will my rates drop if I remove uninsured motorist coverage?
Removing it will typically lower your premium somewhat, since you're carrying less coverage, but the amount depends on your insurer and your current limits. Ask for a side by side quote with and without it so you can see the actual difference before deciding.
See what carrying this coverage, or dropping it, would actually cost you.
Pull out your current policy's declarations page and find your uninsured and underinsured motorist limits. Call your insurer or agent and ask them to explain what those limits would pay out in a real claim, not just the dollar figure on the page. If you don't remember ever signing a rejection form, ask them to check whether one is on file. Then get a comparison quote that shows your premium with your current limits against a version with the coverage reduced or removed, so you can see the actual tradeoff rather than guessing at it. Do this before your next renewal, since changes are easiest to make at that point.
