Updated March 2026
What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured Motorist Coverage has two components: Bodily Injury (UMBI) pays your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering when an uninsured driver injures you, while Property Damage (UMPD) covers repairs to your vehicle. UMBI typically mirrors your liability limits—if you carry 100/300/100 liability, you'd select up to 100/300 in UMBI coverage. Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM) is usually bundled with UM and activates when the at-fault driver's liability limits are too low to cover your full damages.
- A driver sideswiped your car on the interstate and fled. You suffer a concussion and miss three weeks of work, totaling $8,500 in medical bills and $6,200 in lost wages. Your car sustained $4,300 in damage. Your UMBI coverage pays the $14,700 in medical and wage losses up to your policy limits, while UMPD (if you carry it) covers the vehicle repairs minus your deductible.
- An uninsured driver runs a red light and hits your car, causing $18,000 in medical bills and totaling your vehicle worth $22,000. Your 50/100/50 UMBI policy pays up to $50,000 per person for injuries, covering your full $18,000 medical cost. If you have UMPD, it covers the vehicle loss; if not, you'd need collision coverage or pay out of pocket. Without UM coverage, you'd sue the at-fault driver directly—often recovering little or nothing from someone with no insurance or assets.
- A driver with minimum 25/50/25 liability hits you, causing $65,000 in medical expenses and permanent injury. Their insurer pays their $25,000 per-person limit, leaving you $40,000 short. Your 100/300 UIM coverage pays the remaining $40,000 (minus the $25,000 already received). Without UIM, you'd absorb that $40,000 gap or pursue the driver's personal assets through litigation.
Who Needs Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Every driver in states where it's optional should strongly consider UMBI coverage, especially if you lack robust health insurance or disability coverage that would pay regardless of fault. The cost is minimal relative to the financial catastrophe of a serious injury caused by an uninsured driver—$10/month protects against five- or six-figure medical and wage losses. UMPD is worthwhile if you don't carry collision coverage or if your state allows a lower deductible for UMPD than collision.
Calculate your financial exposure: estimate medical costs, lost income, and vehicle value, then compare that to your existing health/disability coverage and savings. If a $50,000 injury would devastate your finances and you lack other coverage, carry UMBI at the highest limits you can afford—it's your only recourse when the at-fault driver has nothing. If you have collision coverage, skip UMPD unless it offers a meaningfully lower deductible.
How Much Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
Uninsured Motorist Coverage typically adds $5 to $15 per month ($60 to $180 annually) to your premium, varying by state requirements and your selected limits.
- Your liability limits directly determine available UM limits—most states cap UMBI at your bodily injury liability limit, so 100/300 liability allows up to 100/300 UMBI.
- State uninsured driver rates drive regional pricing—states like Mississippi and Michigan with 20%+ uninsured rates typically charge higher UM premiums than states with 5-8% rates.
- Whether you add Property Damage coverage (UMPD) or rely on collision—UMPD often costs $2-5/month extra and may carry different deductibles than collision.
- Urban vs. rural ZIP codes impact cost, with metro areas showing higher hit-and-run claim frequencies and thus higher premiums.
- Your claims history affects pricing—prior UM claims can raise rates 10-20% at renewal even though you weren't at fault.
- Stacking options in states that allow it—stacked coverage multiplies limits by number of vehicles, doubling or tripling premiums but also protection.