Explain uninsured motorist coverage

[andrew_j]

Fun fact: in July Virginia started requiring insurance companies to add underinsured coverage to policies for those who do carry insurance. My agent explained that this was mainly a medical coverage.

Also, everyone's auto-insurance premiums are shooting up, though only part of this is the new coverage. My 2011 Ranger has full coverage and the premiums every six months have gone up about 30% from a year ago. No, I have no tickets or claims and, yes, I have great credit. My agent said he and everyone else in his office had been hit too.

NH does not require auto insurance however if you have auto insurance they require you have uninsured insurance.

 

[grampi]

Even if you don't have comp and collision?

Can you have uninsured motorists coverage if you don't have full coverage?

 

[atikovi]

Uninsured will cover your medical expenses but I'm asking if it will also cover the damage to your car if you don't have collision, since it was a collision.

So we have two yes,

If the other (uninsured) driver was at fault, it should cover the cost to repair your car.

Yes

And one no,

If you don’t have comprehensive and collision and an uninsured driver hits you then you are on your own.

thus why I'm confused.

 

[grampi]

Seems reasonable as the insurance company took on significantly more liability with uninsured/underinsured coverage. Heck, depending on the source, 10-15% of drivers on the road do not have insurance to cover your damages.

You make a good point, though. When shopping for insurance always make sure the coverage matches or exceeds your current policy. It's easy to fall into the trap where you are looking at rates only and you lose coverage.

I would say the percentage of uninsured drivers on the road is much higher than 10-15%...more like 50%...

 

[thastinger]

Can you have uninsured motorists coverage if you don't have full coverage?

Yes, at least in VA you can, you actually don't have a choice but to have uninsured motorist coverage if you have insurance at all.

 

[thastinger]

So we have two yes,


And one no,

thus why I'm confused.

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title38.2/chapter22/section38.2-2206/

 

[mk378]

pay the insured all sums that he is legally entitled to recover as damages from the owner or operator of an uninsured motor vehicle

In other words it pays what the uninsured guy's Liability would pay, if he had any.

unless any one named insured rejects the additional uninsured motorist insurance coverage by notifying the insurer

You can opt out of buying Uninsured coverage.

My experience has been that even if (maybe especially if) the other driver is insured, it is hard in the real world to actually get paid for their damage to your car without having your own Collision coverage. That motivates your insurance company to pressure the other one to pay.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Can you have uninsured motorists coverage if you don't have full coverage?

Yes. I have no comp or collision on my old xterra but I do have uninsured. And yes if I get hit by uninsured and it’s not my fault then uninsured will cover the vehicle as well as other things.

Again check your own policy.

 

[ls1mike]

Can you have uninsured motorists coverage if you don't have full coverage?

I do in Washington. The Buick and Trans Am have comp, uninsured and liability. Neither has collision.

 

[y_p_w]

Nah. Uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory in California. We had someone hit our car in a parking lot and it's an old car where we didn't have collision or comprehensive. But the insurance paid out because the driver took off and couldn't be located, even with witnesses who saw the license plate. They tracked down someone who claimed he didn't know what happened.

I'm looking at the requirement, and it seems odd because we couldn't positively identify the other driver who hit my car nor figure out if that driver was insured. But we didn't argue when they were willing to pay it out.

Automobile Insurance Information Guide

www.insurance.ca.gov

• Uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD): This pays for the damage to your car from an accident with an uninsured driver who is at fault. The limit is $3,500. This only pays if the uninsured driver is identified. You may not need it if you have collision coverage.

 

[Big E]

My policy states that uninsured property damage will pay up to $3500 for a covered incident. If the vehicle has full coverage, that will pay for the damages and the uninsured coverage will cover the deductible.

 

[nomas]

The guy that hit my wife had NOTHING . No job , no license , no insurance , no assets . My insurance company said there was nothing for them to recover . AND he blew a .240 on the machine ...
Apparently he had enough money to buy booze .

 

[andrew_j]

I would be far more concerned about medical expenses covered then a vehicle likely worth under $10k if you choose not to carry collision.

Hospital visits and ambulances/helicopter rides cost dearly and underinsured or uninsured won’t fork up anything .

 

[twouvakind]

Always buy as much insurance as you can afford, the time may come sooner or later when you will exercise your costly policy and breathe easier as a result.

 

[brianl703]

I would be far more concerned about medical expenses covered then a vehicle likely worth under $10k if you choose not to carry collision.

Since when does collision coverage pay for medical expenses?

 

[SeaJay]

Uninsured usually looks like it’s only $30 extra but it seems to double your rates after a few years.

It is a lot more than $30 in Florida, we have tons of uninsured drivers cruising about.

 

[SC Maintenance]

It’s by far the largest dollar line item in my premium statement.

 

[Rmay635703]

The guy that hit my wife had NOTHING . No job , no license , no insurance , no assets . My insurance company said there was nothing for them to recover . AND he blew a .240 on the machine ...
Apparently he had enough money to buy booze .

Yep our state is one of the few that until recently did not have legally mandated insurance.

The funny part is every collision my folks experienced before and after the law change are the same type of people.

Based on the statistics our state’s uninsured numbers went up 33% once insurance was made mandatory and the cost for a policy skyrocketed.

I’m not sure what the solution is but the first thing people stop paying when they go broke is insurance, followed shortly after by registration (now that registration is expensive)

I rather see people underinsured rather than uninsured without plates but that seems to be the goal.

 

[andrew_j]

Since when does collision coverage pay for medical expenses?

It doesn’t however OP is concerned about collison and uninsured covers medical which can run easily run into a couple hundred thousand in severe accident.

My wife’s aunt from head on with drunk 16 yo has a few hundred thousand in medical bills, helicopter ride and fused ankle (eligible for psi and suffering that uninsured would provide). Her $7k minivan is peanuts compared to her medical.

 

[brianl703]

It doesn’t however OP is concerned about collison and uninsured covers medical which can run easily run into a couple hundred thousand in severe accident.

Right. There's no need to carry collision coverage to get uninsured motorist coverage (at least in this state, I expect that most are similar).