What is uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage?

What is uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage?

Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage (UM coverage) pays for your injuries if you are struck by a hit-and-run driver or by someone who does not have adequate insurance -- either because they have no coverage or because they do not have enough coverage -- to pay for your injuries. Normally, this type of coverage is limited to bodily injury, and it will not pay for damage to your vehicle or for other types of property damage. To get that kind of coverage, you will have to add collision coverage to your policy.

Who is usually included in my uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage?

Most UM coverage will pay up to your policy's UM limits for injuries caused to:

• you or a relative who lives with you, while a driver or passenger in the vehicle named in your UM insurance policy or any other vehicle, or while a pedestrian
  
  
• anyone else driving your insured vehicle with your permission, and
  
  
• anyone else riding in the vehicle named in your insurance policy, or in any other vehicle you are driving but which you do not own.

What are the limits on my ability to collect under an uninsured/underinsured motorist provision?

UM coverage usually limits your ability to collect -- and the amount you receive -- as follows:

• If your accident involves a hit-and-run driver, you must notify the police within 24 hours of the accident.
  
  
• If your accident involves a hit-and-run driver, the driver's car must have actually hit you -- being forced off the road by a driver who disappears is not sufficient.
  
  
• Your UM coverage will be reduced by any amounts you receive under other insurance coverage, such as your personal medical insurance or any applicable workers' compensation coverage.
  
  
• If you or a relative are injured by an uninsured motorist while you are in someone else's car, your UM coverage will be secondary to the UM coverage of that other car's owner.

Copyright © 2002 Nolo

DISCLAIMER: This site and any information contained herein is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Seek competent legal counsel for advice on any legal matter.

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