What is uninsured & underinsured motorist coverage?

If you’re in an accident and the driver who hits you doesn’t have enough liability coverage — or even worse, none at all — adding coverage for an uninsured and underinsured motorist to your State Farm® Auto insurance policy may provide coverage for damages you are legally entitled to collect from that other driver.

What does uninsured/underinsured cover?

Both coverage types may help cover expenses when you’re in an accident with an uninsured at-fault driver (who has no insurance) or underinsured at-fault driver (who does not have enough liability insurance). Each helps cover such things as:

  • Lost wages, if you’re unable to work because of the accident
  • Medical expenses, like doctor bills, hospital visits, treatment or rehabilitation costs
  • Pain and suffering if you need compensation for physical or emotional distress caused by the accident
  • Related damages to your car (if applicable in your state)

Why choose State Farm for uninsured/underinsured coverage?

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Frequently asked questions about uninsured & underinsured

In most states, drivers are required by law to carry liability insurance on their auto insurance policies. However, that doesn’t stop many people from driving without it, or purchasing the minimum amount of liability coverage they’re required to by law.

If you’re in an accident with one of these drivers, they may not have the money to pay for the damages they’ve caused. Adding uninsured motor vehicle coverage to your policy may help provide protection for you in scenarios like these, and State Farm may provide coverage for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

Whether uninsured/underinsured motor vehicle coverage is necessary and what limits you need depends on a range of factors. Your state may require you to have uninsured and underinsured motor vehicle coverage. Uninsured and underinsured motor vehicle coverage can help protect you.

In some states uninsured motorist property damage coverage may be available to cover the damage to your vehicle when struck by a hit-and-run driver or a driver who does not have liability coverage.

No. Uninsured means the driver has no liability insurance. Underinsured means a driver does not have enough liability insurance.

Underinsured means the driver of the vehicle responsible for the accident does not have enough liability coverage.

In many states, uninsured motorist coverage will only pay for bodily injury and will not pay for damage to your car. There are some states in which you can only purchase uninsured coverage for property damage if you do not carry collision coverage. And, finally, there are some states in which you can purchase uninsured coverage for property damage in addition to collision. Some states do not offer uninsured coverage for property damage at all.

Uninsured property damage coverage may cover:

  • Damage to the described vehicle only
  • Damage to the described vehicle and loss of use
  • Damage to the described vehicle and personal property
  • Damage to the described vehicle, loss of use, and personal property

No. While the medical expenses payable under Medical Payments Coverage (MPC) may also be a part of the bodily injury claim you can make under uninsured motorist coverage, they are not the same coverage. MPC applies to your medical expenses regardless of who is at fault. Uninsured motorist coverage applies only if you are legally entitled to recover from another driver.

There may be no deductible for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Talk to a State Farm agent to learn more.

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return to reference 1 For more information visit the State Farm auto safety page.

Please remember that the preceding descriptions contain only a general description of available coverages and are not a statement of contract. All coverages are subject to all policy provisions and applicable endorsements. Coverage options may vary by state. To learn more about auto insurance coverage in your state, contact your State Farm agent.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
State Farm Indemnity Company
Bloomington, IL

State Farm County Mutual Insurance Company of Texas
Richardson, TX