Uninsured Motorist Coverage for Seniors in North Dakota
North Dakota requires insurers to offer this coverage, and for most older drivers it's worth keeping rather than waiving.
Yes, and age is not the reason to drop it
Uninsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries and sometimes your damaged car when the other driver has no insurance or not enough of it. North Dakota insurers have to offer it on every policy, though you can usually reject it in writing if you want to.
Your age doesn't change what this coverage does or whether you need it. What matters is whether you could cover a serious injury out of your own pocket if an uninsured driver hit you. For most people, including most retirees living on fixed income, the answer is no, which is why this coverage stays worth keeping.
Your health coverage and savings matter more than your age
If you're on Medicare, you might assume it handles everything after a crash. It doesn't cover everything, and it won't cover lost income, pain and suffering, or a totaled car. Uninsured motorist coverage fills those gaps.
If you have significant savings or other assets, an uninsured driver who injures you could come after them in a lawsuit, even if that driver has nothing to pay you directly. Uninsured motorist coverage protects you first, before your own assets are at risk.
If money is tight and you're looking at ways to lower your premium, this is usually not the coverage to cut. Dropping collision on an older car makes sense once it's paid off. Dropping protection against an uninsured driver hitting you does not carry the same logic, because the risk doesn't go away with age or with how long you've been driving.
The limits you already carry can leave you short
Many older drivers have carried the same policy for years and never looked closely at the uninsured motorist limits. If you bought your policy decades ago and simply renewed it since, your limits may be lower than what your liability coverage would pay out if you caused a crash yourself.
That gap matters because a serious injury from an uninsured driver can cost far more than an older policy's limits were set up to cover. Ask your insurer to show you your current uninsured motorist limits next to your liability limits, and ask what it would cost to raise the uninsured side to match.
If you've had any moving violations or claims in recent years, that history affects what you pay for this coverage just like any other, but it doesn't affect your right to have it. Insurers in North Dakota can't deny you uninsured motorist coverage for being an older driver or for your driving record.
Questions people ask about this
Does uninsured motorist coverage cost more for older drivers in North Dakota?
Age alone isn't the main factor insurers use for this coverage. Your driving record, how much coverage you choose, and sometimes your location affect the cost more. Ask your insurer directly how your age factors into this specific coverage, since insurers weigh it differently.
Can I use my health insurance instead of uninsured motorist coverage?
Health insurance and Medicare can pay some medical bills after a crash, but they won't cover lost income, pain and suffering, or vehicle damage. Uninsured motorist coverage is built to cover those gaps, which is why the two aren't substitutes for each other.
Do I still need uninsured motorist coverage if I rarely drive anymore?
Driving less reduces your chances of being in a crash, but it doesn't eliminate the risk, and the coverage also applies if you're a pedestrian or passenger hit by an uninsured driver. Ask your insurer whether reduced mileage qualifies you for a lower rate instead of dropping the coverage.
Does uninsured motorist coverage follow me or just my car in North Dakota?
This depends on how your policy is written, and North Dakota insurers can structure it differently. Ask your insurer whether your coverage applies only to the vehicle on your policy or to you as a person, including when you're a passenger in someone else's car.
Will raising my uninsured motorist limits affect my other coverage or discounts?
Raising one coverage limit doesn't automatically change your other limits or any discounts you already qualify for. Ask your insurer for a side by side quote showing your current policy against one with higher uninsured motorist limits so you can see the real difference in cost.
See what raising or adjusting this coverage would actually cost before you decide to change it.
Pull out your current policy declarations page and find the line for uninsured motorist coverage. Call your insurer and ask them to read back your limits for that coverage next to your liability limits, and ask what raising it would cost. If you were ever talked into waiving this coverage years ago, ask whether you can add it back now. Do this before your next renewal arrives, not after, so you have time to compare what another insurer would charge for the same protection.
