What is Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

At Thompson Insurance Services in Highland Village, TX, we understand the frustration that you may have when you are in an auto accident, and the other driver who caused the wreck doesn’t have insurance. This is a growing reality and is stressful for drivers all over Texas. However, there are a couple of remedies for the situation, and they are called uninsured and underinsured motorist coverages.

What is Uninsured Motorist Coverage?

Uninsured motorist coverage (UM) is a protection you can add to your policy to cover if you are in an accident with an uninsured driver. For instance, an uninsured motorist caused the wreck and doesn’t have an active insurance policy to cover your damages. This coverage also protects you if you were involved in a hit-and-run accident and are unaware of who damaged your vehicle.

How it works: you will pay a deductible (usually $250 in the state of Texas), and the insurance company will pay for the auto repairs. UM will also cover injuries for you and your passengers up to the coverage limits in either scenario. The limits typically mirror the property damage and bodily injury limits you have on your liability policy.

Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) is designed to cover you if you are in an accident with a driver, and their liability coverage is not enough to cover your damages. It could be that they don’t have enough liability because you are in a state that offers lower liability limits than your home state. No matter the case, UIM kicks in when your injuries and damages exceed that of the other parties’ coverage limits. UIM goes above and beyond the liability limits on your auto policy. For instance, you were in the vehicle alone and were rear-ended by another driver. They only had the Texas minimum of $30,000 for your bodily injuries, but you sustained medical bills of $50,000. Your UIM coverage would cover the additional $20,000 needed. The extra amount covered would mirror your liability coverage. So, if you have state minimums in Texas, it will cover up to $30,000 of additional medical expenses, if needed.

For more information

To learn more about uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, call Thompson Insurance Services in Highland Village, TX, at (972) 801-0901.