Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Pays your medical bills (and sometimes car repairs) if you're hit by a driver with no insurance or not enough insurance.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage (UM/UIM) pays for your injuries — and in some states your car damage — when you're hit by a driver who has no insurance, has too little insurance, or hits you and runs (hit-and-run).
It's broken into two parts: - UM Bodily Injury (UMBI) — pays for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain & suffering - UM Property Damage (UMPD) — pays for your car (only available in some states)
In Illinois, the minimum required UM/UIM matches your liability limits (so if you carry 100/300, you also have 100/300 UM/UIM). Indiana also requires UM coverage equal to BI liability. Wisconsin requires UM minimums of 25/50.
This coverage is more important than people think. The Insurance Information Institute estimates that 13-20% of drivers in IL/IN/WI are uninsured at any given moment. If a 55-year-old without insurance T-bones you and you suffer $200,000 in medical bills, UMBI is what gets you that money. Without it, you can sue them — but they have no insurance precisely because they have no money.
Related terms:Liability Coverage·Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Related Geneva services:Auto Insurance