What is Uninsured Motorist UM and Underinsured Motorist Coverage UIM

Attorney Michael Shepherd: 555 South Mangum Street, Suite 800, Durham, North Carolina.

Typically, these are policies that are either in your own name, on the vehicle you were in, or in the name of a relative with whom you live. These policies help pay for damages when the at-fault driver or vehicle doesn’t have adequate insurance coverage.

Uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage are both types of something called first-party coverage. Typically, these are policies that are either in your own name, on the vehicle you were in, or in the name of a relative with whom you live. Uninsured motorist coverage will pay your damages if neither the driver nor the vehicle that hit you have insurance or if they cannot be identified in a hit-and-run situation. Please note that uninsured motorist coverage will not pay if there is no contact between the vehicles. Uninsured motorist coverage also can apply if the vehicle that hit you was a government vehicle that was not required to carry insurance. This is called sovereign immunity.

Underinsured motorist coverage, on the other hand, can be paid in addition to the liability insurance for the at-fault driver or vehicle.

Both types of insurance offer you additional coverage that may be able to pay for the damages you suffer in an auto accident.

If you have been in a car accident, talk with a personal injury attorney who can review the details
of your case and may be able to give you tailored advice about how to best protect your rights and fight for the compensation to which you may be entitled.