Updated July 2026
What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured motorist coverage functions as backup insurance when the at-fault driver has no liability policy or insufficient coverage to pay your claim. It covers your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and in most states your vehicle damage through a companion coverage called uninsured motorist property damage. The coverage triggers after you've exhausted the at-fault driver's policy limits or when the driver cannot be identified, such as in hit-and-run accidents. Your own collision coverage may also pay for vehicle damage in these scenarios, but uninsured motorist property damage typically has no deductible.
- You're stopped at a traffic light when another driver rear-ends you at 35 mph. You sustain $18,000 in medical bills and your vehicle requires $7,200 in repairs. The at-fault driver has no insurance. Your uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage pays the $18,000 in medical expenses without requiring you to sue the other driver, and uninsured motorist property damage covers the $7,200 repair bill with no deductible. Without this coverage, you would need to file a lawsuit and attempt to collect from a driver who likely has no assets.
- A vehicle sideswibes you on the highway and flees the scene. You file a police report but the driver is never identified. Your uninsured motorist coverage treats this as an uninsured driver claim. If you carry $100,000 in bodily injury limits, the policy pays up to that amount for your injuries regardless of whether the driver is found. This distinction matters for senior drivers because hit-and-run claims increase with age as reaction time to capture license plate information decreases.
- You're injured by a driver carrying Florida's minimum $10,000 bodily injury limit. Your medical bills total $42,000. The at-fault driver's policy pays its $10,000 limit, then your underinsured motorist coverage pays the remaining $32,000 up to your policy limit. Underinsured motorist coverage works in tandem with uninsured coverage and costs the same. For senior drivers with higher medical costs, this gap coverage is critical because one-third of insured drivers carry only state minimum liability limits.
Who Needs Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Senior drivers on Medicare should carry uninsured motorist coverage because Medicare does not cover injuries caused by auto accidents — those bills fall to your auto insurance or out-of-pocket payment. If you drive a paid-off vehicle and dropped collision coverage to reduce costs, uninsured motorist property damage becomes your only protection against an uninsured driver damaging your car. Drivers in states with uninsured rates above 10% face a one-in-ten chance that any accident involves a driver with no insurance, making this coverage statistically likely to pay out during your remaining driving years.
Compare the annual cost of this coverage to your ability to absorb a $20,000 to $50,000 uninsured driver claim out of pocket. If that amount would materially affect your retirement savings or force you to liquidate assets, carry the coverage. Check your state's uninsured driver rate — above 10% justifies the cost for most senior drivers on fixed incomes. If you've dropped collision and comprehensive to save money, add uninsured motorist property damage to maintain protection against the most common cause of total loss for older vehicles.
How Much Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
Uninsured motorist coverage typically adds $8 to $18 per month to your premium, or approximately $96 to $216 annually for $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident in bodily injury limits.
- Your selected coverage limits — higher limits cost more, but the incremental cost between $50,000 and $100,000 in coverage is typically only $3 to $5 per month.
- Your state's uninsured driver rate — states with 15% or more uninsured drivers charge 20% to 40% more for this coverage due to higher claim frequency.
- Whether you add uninsured motorist property damage — this extension adds $2 to $6 per month depending on your vehicle value and state regulations.
- Your zip code's hit-and-run claim history — urban areas with higher hit-and-run rates price this coverage 10% to 25% higher than rural counties.
- Stacking provisions if you insure multiple vehicles — some states allow you to combine limits across vehicles for a single claim, which increases premium by 30% to 60% but provides significantly higher protection.