Glossary

Uninsured motorist coverage

Coverage that pays injury costs for you and your passengers when a driver with no insurance, or a hit-and-run driver, causes the crash.

Also called: UM, UM coverage, uninsured motorist bodily injury, UMBI

Uninsured motorist coverage (UM) pays for your injuries when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance. It covers you, your household members and your passengers, and most policies also apply it when you are hit by an unidentified hit and run driver, subject to state rules. It pays what you could have collected from the at-fault driver, such as medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering, up to your UM limits.

The need is real: the Insurance Research Council estimated that 15.4% of U.S. drivers were uninsured in 2023, with much higher rates in some states. UM limits are written like liability limits, such as 50/100 for $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident. Example: an uninsured driver runs a red light and you suffer $40,000 in damages. With 50/100 UM, your own insurer pays the $40,000 and can then try to recover from the uninsured driver (hypothetical figures).

According to the Insurance Information Institute, UM is mandatory in about 20 jurisdictions; elsewhere insurers usually must offer it and you can reject it in writing. Damage to your car is handled separately, by uninsured motorist property damage or collision coverage. Many policies pair UM with underinsured motorist coverage for drivers whose limits are too low. See uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage explained.

Last reviewed October 4, 2026

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Related terms

Underinsured motorist coverage Coverage that pays your injury costs when the at-fault driver has insurance, but not enough to cover what you are owed. Uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) Coverage that pays to repair your car when a driver with no insurance damages it, often with a small deductible and caps set by state law. Hit and run A crash in which a driver leaves without stopping to share information or help, which is a crime and leaves victims relying on their own coverage. Stacking Combining uninsured or underinsured motorist limits across several vehicles or policies to raise the total available for one injury claim. Financial responsibility law A state law requiring drivers to show they can pay for injuries or damage they cause, almost always by carrying minimum liability insurance.

Related guides

What to do after an accident with an uninsured driver Steps to take at the scene, which of your own coverages pay for your car and injuries, and your options for collecting from a driver with no insurance. Do you need a police report after a car accident? When state law requires you to call police or file a crash report, why a report helps your insurance claim even when optional, and how to fix errors. Fake insurance cards and how they are caught Where counterfeit and worthless insurance cards come from, how state databases and claims expose them, the penalties, and what to do if you are hit. Why Florida car insurance is so expensive Florida had the highest average car insurance spending in the U.S. in 2023. Why, what the 2023 tort reform changed, and why rates are now falling. High-net-worth auto insurance: what private client carriers add What private client auto insurers such as Chubb, PURE, Berkley One and AIG's Private Client Select add to a standard policy, and who they suit. Hit-and-run accidents: how to file a claim What to do after a hit-and-run, which of your coverages pay for the car and for injuries, and the reporting deadlines that can make or break the claim.

Related insurers

Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance Macon-based mutual set up by the Georgia Farm Bureau federation in the late 1950s; sells auto, home and farm coverage to members from offices in 158 counties. Shelter Insurance A Missouri-based mutual sold by local agents in 14 central and southern states, ranked first in J.D. Power's Central region nine times. Traders Insurance A privately owned Kansas City auto insurer founded in 1976 that sells budget and nonstandard car insurance through independent agents in five Midwest states.

Related tools

How much car insurance do I need? A starting point for your limits and options, from liability to gap and rental, built from common rules of thumb and your state's minimums. State car insurance requirements lookup Minimum car insurance, fault rules, PIP and uninsured motorist requirements and the regulator's hotline for any state, or two states side by side.