Uninsured Motorist Coverage — Massachusetts
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries and vehicle damage when you're hit by a driver who has no insurance or too little insurance to cover your losses.
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What Is Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured motorist coverage (UM) pays for your medical bills, lost wages, and vehicle damage when an at-fault driver has no insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) kicks in when the at-fault driver's liability limits are too low to cover your full losses. Both coverages protect you from paying out-of-pocket for someone else's mistake when their policy can't or won't cover what they owe you.
- You return to your parked car and find the driver's side door caved in. No note, no witnesses, no camera footage. Your collision coverage pays for the vehicle repair minus your deductible. UM property damage coverage (if your state offers it and you purchased it) may also apply, but most UM policies require you to identify the at-fault driver or prove they were uninsured. In most hit-and-run cases, you're relying on collision coverage, not UM.
Who Needs Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
You should carry UM/UIM if you live in a state where a significant percentage of drivers are uninsured, if you can't afford to pay medical bills out-of-pocket after a crash, or if you carry high liability limits and want matching protection for yourself. It's especially important if you don't have health insurance or if your health plan has high deductibles—UM pays immediately without waiting for a lawsuit.
Compare the annual premium to your health insurance deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. If your health coverage is strong and your state's uninsured rate is below 10 percent, the math shifts—but most drivers still buy it because the cost is low and the downside of going without is catastrophic.
How Much Does Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
- Your state's uninsured motorist rate—states with higher percentages of uninsured drivers charge more because the risk of a claim is higher.
- Whether you add UM property damage coverage—some states let you add this as a rider to cover vehicle damage from uninsured drivers, which increases the premium slightly.
- Your own driving record—even though UM covers you when someone else is at fault, insurers price it based on overall risk, so a clean record keeps costs lower.
- Stacking rules in your state—if your state allows stacking (combining UM limits across multiple vehicles on one policy), premiums are higher but coverage is deeper.
