Harrell Insurance Logo

407.846.6421
Menu
Home Get A Quote Customer Service Blog Make a Payment Secure File Area Refer a Friend Important Links Calculators Insurance Glossary About Harrell Agency Services Location Map Employee Directory Privacy Policy Contact Us Join Our Newsletter
Social Media
Social
  • Home
  • Get A Quote
    • Automobile
    • Business & CommercialImage of right arrow
      • Commercial Auto Insurance Quote
      • General Liability Quote Form
      • Business Owners (BOP) Quote Form
      • Workers Compensation Quote
    • Flood
    • HomeownersImage of right arrow
      • Homeowners Insurance Quote
      • Manufactured Home Quote
      • Homeowner Flood Quote Form
      • Tapestry Home Insurance Quote Form
    • LifeImage of right arrow
      • Life Insurance Quote
      • Term Life Insurance Quote
    • Motorcycle
    • Recreational Vehicle
    • Renters
    • Watercraft & Boat
  • Customer Service
    • Business & CommercialImage of right arrow
      • Request ID Card for Commercial Auto Policy
      • Add Vehicle to Existing Commercial Auto Policy
      • Remove Vehicle from Existing Commercial Auto Policy
      • Add Driver to Existing Commercial Auto Policy
      • Remove Driver from Existing Commercial Auto Policy
      • Request General Liability Certificate of Insurance
    • Other
  • Blog
  • Make a Payment
  • Resources
    • Secure File Area
    • Refer a Friend
    • Important Links
    • Calculators
    • Insurance Glossary
  • About Us
    • About Harrell Agency Services
    • Location Map
    • Employee Directory
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Join Our Newsletter


postheader
Auto
Insurance
postheader
Home
Insurance
postheader
Business
Insurance
postheader
Boat
Insurance
postheader
Motorcycle
Insurance
postheader
RV
Insurance
Home > Blog > A Guide to Buying Car Insurance, Part Three: Uninsured Motorist Coverage
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

A Guide to Buying Car Insurance, Part Three: Uninsured Motorist Coverage

florida_drivers

Most people I talk to don't really understand Uninsured Motorist coverage.  They may or may not have it on their policies, but either way, they don’t really understand what it is or how can help them. I would like to take a few minutes and explain what this coverage is, whether you should have it, and how much you should have.

Most people know of Uninsured/Under-insured Motorist coverage as UM coverage, so for simplicity's sake, I will refer to it as UM coverage.

UM coverage is probably the most misunderstood coverage in car insurance.  A lot of people confuse this with Comprehensive and Collision coverage, which we will discuss in a future blog. UM coverage has nothing to do with vehicle repairs or replacement. It is very similar to Bodily Injury liability coverage in that it pays for medical bills, lost pay, rehabilitation treatment, and even funeral costs, except it isn't paying those things for someone you have harmed. It's the opposite – UM coverage covers you, the insured, in the event that someone's vehicle hits your vehicle and results in an injury (or death), and that driver either doesn't have car insurance, or doesn't have enough Bodily Injury coverage to pay your medical bills or funeral costs.

UM coverage has the same limits structure as Bodily Injury: $10,000/$20,000, $25,000/$50,000, $50,000/$100,000, $100,000/$300,000 and $250,000/$500,000. The first number is how much the insurance company will pay per person in an accident, and the second number is how much the company will pay total for the accident under your Uninsured Motorist coverage.

There is also an option to stack your UM coverage limits.  This simply means that for each vehicle you own, you can stack those limits. So if you have $25,000/$50,000, and you have two vehicles on the policy, you actually have $50,000/$100,000 available to you.

I'll take that a step further to make sure you understand... Let's say you have the same stacked limits, $25,000/$50,000, but you actually have three vehicles on your policy. How much UM coverage do you have available to you in the case that someone were to hit you and they do not have auto insurance? If you guessed $75,000/$150,000, you are correct! Of course, this stacked UM coverage will cost you more since it is giving you more coverage.  

So how much UM coverage should you carry? Most experts recommend that when buying UM coverage you should match the limits with your Bodily Injury limits. So if you have $100,000/$300,000 on your Bodily Injury, you would carry the same on your UM coverage. If you have more than one car on your policy, and are really concerned about being injured by an under-insured or uninsured driver, you should consider purchasing it as stacked UM coverage.  

If you've opted not to carry UM coverage, I recommend that you reconsider. The latest studies suggest that in the state of Florida, 3.2 million people are driving around without any car insurance. Florida has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country!

Hopefully by now you have a solid understanding of what UM coverage is and how much coverage you should have. If you would like to further discuss your UM coverage options or any other coverage, just email me or message me on Facebook or Twitter.  I'm happy to help!

Read part one (Personal Injury Protection) here.
Read part two (Bodily Injury Liability) here.
Read part four (Property Damage) here.
Read part five (Other Coverages) here.


Posted 10:38 PM

Share |


No Comments


Post a Comment
Required
Required (Not Displayed)
Required


All comments are moderated and stripped of HTML.

NOTICE: This blog and website are made available by the publisher for educational and informational purposes only. It is not be used as a substitute for competent insurance, legal, or tax advice from a licensed professional in your state. By using this blog site you understand that there is no broker client relationship between you and the blog and website publisher.
Blog Archive
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015

  • homeowners insurance(8)
  • car insurance(4)
  • hurricane season(2)
  • boat insurance(1)
  • harrell insurance(1)
  • homeowners(1)
  • rv insurance(1)
  • independent insurance agent(1)

View Mobile Version

HOME PAGE ABOUT US GET A QUOTE REFER A FRIEND LOCATION CONTACT US

28 Broadway, Ste 202 | Kissimmee, FL 34741 | 407.846.6421

Logo
Powered by Insurance Website Builder
Social Facebook Twitter Google+ Blog