Updated April 2026
What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured Motorist Coverage has two parts: Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury (UMBI) covers your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering when an at-fault driver has no insurance or insufficient coverage. Uninsured Motorist Property Damage (UMPD) pays for repairs to your vehicle when hit by an uninsured driver. Most states bundle underinsured motorist coverage with uninsured coverage, meaning it also kicks in when the other driver's liability limits are too low to cover your full claim. This coverage follows you and your passengers regardless of which vehicle you're in.
- An uninsured driver runs a red light and T-bones your car. You suffer $18,000 in medical bills, $4,500 in lost wages, and your vehicle has $9,200 in damage. The at-fault driver has no insurance and no assets. Your $50,000 UMBI policy pays your $22,500 in medical and wage claims. If you have UMPD with a $3,500 limit and $250 deductible, it pays $3,250 toward vehicle repairs—you'd need collision coverage to fully cover the remaining $5,950.
- A driver sidesipes your car on the highway and flees. You sustain $8,200 in medical treatment and your car needs $6,800 in repairs. Because the driver can't be identified, your liability insurance won't help and the at-fault driver's coverage is unavailable. Your uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage pays the full $8,200 in medical costs. Your UMPD or collision coverage (depending on your state and policy structure) covers the vehicle damage minus your deductible.
- You're rear-ended by a driver with only the state minimum $25,000 bodily injury liability. Your injuries result in $42,000 in medical bills and lost income. The at-fault driver's insurance pays their $25,000 limit, leaving you $17,000 short. If you carry $50,000 in underinsured motorist coverage, it pays the remaining $17,000 gap. Without this coverage, you'd be responsible for collecting that $17,000 directly from the at-fault driver—which is rarely successful.
Who Needs Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Post-SR22 drivers should strongly consider uninsured motorist coverage because you're statistically more likely to encounter uninsured drivers in similar risk pools, and you have less financial cushion if hit with unexpected medical bills or repair costs. If you're carrying liability-only coverage to minimize costs, UMBI becomes your only protection for your own injuries in a not-at-fault accident. This coverage is essential if you live in states with uninsured driver rates above 10%, lack health insurance with comprehensive coverage, or have significant income that would be lost during injury recovery.
Calculate your personal exposure: add your health insurance deductible + 3 months of lost wages + potential out-of-pocket maximums, then compare that total to the annual cost of UMBI coverage at limits matching that exposure. If the coverage costs less than 5% of your exposure amount annually, it's typically worth carrying. For UMPD, compare the cost against your collision coverage—if you're already paying for collision with a reasonable deductible, UMPD often provides minimal additional value and can be reduced or skipped in most states.
How Much Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
Uninsured Motorist Coverage typically adds $8-15/mo ($96-180/year) to your premium for standard limits, though post-SR22 drivers often see costs in the $10-18/mo range depending on violation history.
- Your coverage limits directly affect cost—$25,000 UMBI costs significantly less than $100,000 or $250,000 limits, with each doubling of coverage adding approximately $3-6/mo.
- The percentage of uninsured drivers in your state impacts pricing—states like Florida and New Mexico with 20%+ uninsured rates charge 30-50% more than states with robust enforcement.
- Your violation history matters: DUI or multiple at-fault accidents in the past 3-5 years can increase uninsured motorist premiums by 15-25% even after SR-22 filing ends.
- Stacking options (combining limits across multiple vehicles) can increase costs by 40-60% but provide substantially higher protection if you own multiple cars.
- Whether UMBI and UMPD are bundled or sold separately affects total cost—states requiring both as a package sometimes offer better combined rates than purchasing each individually.
- Your deductible on UMPD (in states where it applies) works like collision—choosing a $1,000 deductible over $250 typically saves $4-8/mo.