Uninsured Motorist Coverage for Seniors in South Carolina
South Carolina requires uninsured motorist coverage on every policy, and for older drivers it often matters more than the rest of the policy combined.
South Carolina already requires it, but the amount you carry is your choice
South Carolina law requires uninsured motorist coverage on every car insurance policy sold in the state. You already have it, at least at the minimum level the state sets. What you choose is whether to carry more than that minimum.
For an older driver, this matters because the other driver's insurance, or lack of it, is now the biggest risk to your own recovery after a crash. If you're hit by someone with no insurance or too little, your uninsured motorist coverage is what pays for your injuries. Your age doesn't change the law. It changes how much that coverage is worth to you.
How much coverage you carry matters more than whether you have it
The state minimum is just that, a minimum. It's often not enough to cover a serious injury, and recovery from a crash tends to take longer and cost more as you get older. A broken hip or a long hospital stay can run well past what a minimum policy pays out.
You can usually buy uninsured motorist coverage in higher amounts than the state requires, often matching the liability limits you already carry. Ask your insurer what your current limit is and what it would cost to raise it. This is a question your own agent can answer in a few minutes.
If you drive less than you used to, that doesn't lower your risk from an uninsured driver. It only lowers your risk of being the one who causes a crash. Those are two different things, and this coverage is about the first one.
Underinsured motorist coverage is a separate decision worth making with it
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. South Carolina treats these as related but separate choices on your policy.
Many drivers assume one covers the other. It doesn't automatically. If you're reviewing your uninsured motorist limits, ask your insurer in the same conversation whether your underinsured motorist coverage matches them, or whether you even carry it.
This is worth checking now rather than after a claim, since a renewal notice is often the only time anyone looks at these limits again until something happens.
Questions people ask about this
does uninsured motorist coverage pay for my medical bills or just my car?
It can cover both, but they're often separate parts of the coverage. Ask your insurer whether your policy includes uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage, property damage coverage, or both, since some policies carry only one.
do I still need uninsured motorist coverage if I have Medicare?
Medicare pays medical bills regardless of who caused the crash, but it doesn't cover lost income, pain and suffering, or property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage is meant to cover what Medicare doesn't.
can my insurer drop my uninsured motorist coverage because of my age?
No insurer can remove coverage South Carolina requires. If you're asked to sign something that lowers or waives this coverage, read it carefully, since the state allows drivers to reject higher limits in writing.
what happens if the other driver has insurance but not enough?
That's what underinsured motorist coverage is for, not uninsured motorist coverage. Check with your insurer whether you carry both and whether the limits are the same.
does my uninsured motorist coverage follow me as a pedestrian?
In many cases it can, since this coverage is usually tied to you as a driver, not just to your car. Confirm this with your insurer, since the details depend on your specific policy.
See what other insurers would charge to raise these limits before you decide what's enough.
Pull out your most recent renewal notice or policy declarations page and find the line that says uninsured motorist coverage. Call your insurer or agent and ask them to state the exact limit in plain numbers, and whether your underinsured motorist limit matches it. Ask what it would cost to raise either one, and whether your liability limits are higher than your uninsured motorist limits, since that gap is worth closing. Do this before your next renewal, not after a claim forces the question. If you're comparing other insurers anyway, ask each one the same questions so you're comparing the same coverage, not just the same price.
