Am I Covered if I Am Hit by an Uninsured Driver
You're covered only if your own policy includes uninsured motorist coverage, since the other driver has nothing to pay you with.
What decides whether you get paid
- Uninsured motorist coverage This is the part of your policy that pays you when the other driver has no insurance at all. Check your declarations page now, before anything happens, so you know if it's there.
- Underinsured motorist coverage This pays when the other driver has insurance but not enough to cover your costs. It often comes paired with uninsured coverage, but confirm both are listed separately.
- State rules on offering it Some states require insurers to offer this coverage and let you decline it in writing. Find out what your state requires so you know whether you ever made that choice.
- Your own car's damage Uninsured motorist coverage usually deals with injuries, not your vehicle. Check whether you also carry collision coverage, since that's what fixes your car regardless of who caused it.
- New driver without a long record Since you're newer to driving, you may not yet know what coverage you picked when you first signed up. Pull your policy now and confirm, rather than finding out after a crash.
A new driver rear-ended with no insurance in sight
You're stopped at a light a few months after getting your license. Another car hits you from behind. You exchange information and the other driver admits they let their insurance lapse last month. You're shaken but not badly hurt, and your car has real damage to the bumper and trunk.
You call your insurer that day. Because you added uninsured motorist coverage when you first got your policy, even though you weren't sure at the time if you needed it, your claim moves forward without you having to chase the other driver for money they don't have. Your collision coverage handles the car repair separately. A few weeks later it's resolved, and you keep that coverage going forward, now understanding exactly why it was worth having from the start.
The other driver's insurance was never going to protect you. Only your own policy can.
Compare quotes that include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, so you stay protected.
Do you have uninsured motorist coverage
If you do
You file a claim with your own insurer right after the crash. They cover your injuries and related costs up to your policy's terms, without you needing to collect anything from the other driver. The process looks much like any other claim, handled directly by the company you already pay.
If you don't
You're left trying to recover costs directly from a driver who has no insurance and may have little money. You can sue them, but collecting payment can take a long time or may not happen at all. Your medical bills and repair costs become your responsibility in the meantime.
Does filing this kind of claim raise my rates?
Generally no, because you didn't cause the accident and the fault lies with the other driver. Insurers typically treat uninsured motorist claims differently from at-fault claims, since you're the one who did nothing wrong here.
That said, rules vary by insurer and by state, so it's worth asking directly when you compare quotes or review your current policy. Some insurers look at any claim history when setting future rates, even if fault isn't yours, so understanding how your specific insurer handles this matters more than assuming it works the same everywhere. As a newer driver, building a clean record matters to you, so this is worth confirming before you ever need to use the coverage.
