Uninsured Motorist Coverage: Who Pays If They Don’t Have Insurance?

It is a nightmare scenario: You are hit by a driver who runs a red light. You pull over, only to find out they have no insurance, or worse—they speed away (Hit and Run). You are left with a damaged car and medical bills, wondering who will pay.

The Myth “If the person who hit me has no insurance, I am out of luck. I have to pay for everything myself, and there’s no point in hiring a lawyer.”

The Fact You are likely not out of luck. You probably have Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage on your own auto policy. This coverage is designed specifically for this situation. It steps into the shoes of the at-fault driver. You make a claim against your own insurance company up to the limits of your policy.

The Pro Tip Check your policy’s “Declaration Page” right now. Look for “UM/UIM” (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist).

• If you have it: Great! We can file a claim without your rates necessarily going up (since you weren’t at fault).
• If you don’t have it: Call your agent and add it immediately. It is the cheapest and most important protection you can buy for yourself and your family.

Conclusion Don’t assume you have zero options just because the other driver is uninsured. Let us review your policy and find the coverage you paid for.

Dealing with a denied, delayed, or underpaid claim? See how our insurance claim dispute lawyers can help.

Related: Learn more about our car accident practice.

Read next: our complete Florida uninsured motorist (UM/UIM) guide, and attorney Kweku Darfoor’s answers to the questions people ask after being hit by an uninsured driver: the driver who hit me has no insurance, stacked vs. non-stacked coverage, hit-and-run claims, and when the at-fault driver only has a $10,000 policy.