What Is Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage pays for your injuries and losses when an at-fault driver has no insurance or too little to cover what they owe you. It protects you, your family, and your passengers.
The Coverage That Protects You From Other Drivers
Most of your auto policy protects other people from you — liability pays for the damage *you* cause. Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage flips that around: it protects you when someone else causes a crash and can't pay for the harm they did.
It answers a simple, scary question: *what happens when the driver who hits you has no insurance, or nowhere near enough?*
Why You Need It
- About 1 in 7 U.S. drivers is uninsured — and many more carry only their state's bare-minimum limits.
- State minimum liability limits are low — often $25,000 per person. A single ER visit, surgery, or a few weeks off work can blow past that in an afternoon.
- Without UM/UIM, the gap is yours. If the at-fault driver can't pay, your medical bills, lost wages, and pain don't disappear — they land on you.
What UM/UIM Covers
- Your injuries and medical bills after a crash caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver
- Lost wages while you recover
- Pain and suffering the at-fault driver would have owed you
- Your passengers and family members injured in the vehicle
- Hit-and-run crashes, in most states, where the at-fault driver is never found
- Property damage to your vehicle (UMPD), in states that offer it
UM vs. UIM — A Quick Distinction
- Uninsured motorist (UM): the other driver has *no* insurance at all.
- Underinsured motorist (UIM): the other driver *has* insurance, but their limits are too low to cover your losses.
A complete policy carries both, because both situations are common.
It's Affordable Protection
UM/UIM is one of the highest-value coverages on an auto policy — it protects your health and finances against the millions of drivers you can't control, usually for a modest premium. We help drivers understand their current limits and quote stronger protection. [Get a quote](/quote) to see your options.
What's Covered
Frequently Asked Questions
It is — if they have it and it's enough. About 1 in 7 drivers is uninsured, and many more carry only low state-minimum limits. When their coverage runs out or doesn't exist, UM/UIM is what pays for your injuries and losses instead of you.
Yes. Health insurance may cover some medical bills (often with deductibles and copays), but it won't pay your lost wages, your deductible, or your pain and suffering — and it may seek repayment from any settlement. UM/UIM is built to cover the full harm an uninsured driver caused.