What do you think would be the number of passenger car accidents that happen every year in the US?

With all the generosity, you’d put the number somewhere between 300,000 to 500,000. If the number of car accidents was anywhere close to this, the roads of the US would be called a safer place.

According to a survey in 2019, there are more than 6 million car accidents, out of which over 4 million cause some form of serious injury.

There’s no denying that the roads are dangerous places, and the need for insurance is beyond important.

Looking for and getting the perfect auto insurance for yourself could be difficult.

With so many different policies, each with different coverage, terms and conditions, and a hefty price tag, it gets to the point where people have to decide only to get the auto insurance policies that are necessary and skip the rest. 

Amongst the multiple auto insurance, there’s one called “uninsured motorist” car insurance.

What is it exactly and why do many states make it mandatory?

Here’s everything you need to know about this vehicle insurance policy and whether you should get it or not. 

Why You Need Insurance 

Before we delve into the need for uninsured motorist car insurance, it is important to understand some basic points about auto insurance in brief.

The stats mentioned above are impactful enough to make you get an insurance policy.

But just getting an auto insurance policy won’t be enough. You need to get different policies for different coverage. 

For example, almost all the states in the US have made it mandatory to get a liability insurance policy that covers injury.

What is Uninsured Motorist Car Insurance? Why Do You Need it?

Vehicle and property damage. But this coverage is not for the policyholder.

If you (the policyholder) hit someone else or total someone’s car or just ram into someone’s backyard, you are liable to pay for the damages. But what if you don’t have the money to cover the charges?

This is why liability coverage is made mandatory. 

Then there’s the optional collision and comprehensive insurance coverage which is bought by most people in the US with the same enthusiasm and need as liability coverage. 

A collision insurance policy covers all the damages to your vehicle incurred in an accident that’s your fault.

So if you hit someone else’s car or into a light pole, the insurance company would pay for the repair costs (minus the deductibles).

If it’s the other person’s fault, his/her liability insurance will cover the damages. 

A comprehensive insurance policy covers all the damages to your car due to accidents that are not your fault. It is also called “parking insurance” indicating that you must not be driving the car when these damages occur to claim comprehensive insurance. 

It covers damages due to riots, fire, natural calamities, theft, vandalism, animals, hailstorm, etc.

It also covers the damages that may occur if some other car rammed into yours while it is parked. 

The Need for Uninsured Motorist Car Insurance 

With the three insurance coverage, it seems like there is no need for any other auto insurance, right?

Just get the three insurance policies from the cheapest auto insurance company and that’s it. You get good insurance at a great price. But there’s more to it than what meets the wallet.

Let’s say that someone else hit your car, and your bonnet looks less like a bonnet and more like a pancake. Plus, you also got some injuries.

So the obvious thing to do in this situation is to call 911 and get the contact information and insurance information of the person at fault to claim their liability insurance. 

But what if the other person does not have liability insurance, or more likely, the policy coverage limit is way too less than what’s needed for your medical bills and repair of the car?

While you can use your collision insurance, there is also a limit to that. 

This is where uninsured motorist car insurance comes into play. This auto insurance provides coverage when the person at fault either has no liability insurance coverage or the limit of the coverage is lower than what’s needed.

This insurance policy is also called (or combined with) underinsured motorist coverage.

Why You Need it

Every state has a minimum coverage limit, which means that most people would get just the bare minimum.

For property and vehicle damages, the minimum coverage limit could be enough, but usually, it lacks for bodily injury. Those medical expenses are way off the roof.

This is what makes uninsured motorist coverage so essential. 

Collision coverage can be used to cover the extra cost, but it only applies to vehicle damages. What about bodily injury cover?

The great thing about getting this insurance is that it is very easy to file a claim, and does not require too much paperwork.

Every major and even local insurance company in the US offers uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance cover, which makes it even more convenient.

You can bundle the insurance plans together to get great discounts. 

So to answer the question of whether you should get uninsured motorist coverage or not, there is no doubt that the benefits exceed the premium you have to pay for this insurance.

Go for it, and save yourself the problems that might occur because someone decided to keep an insufficient coverage limit.