Insurance can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s important to understand your insurance coverages so you’re able to best protect you and your family on the road. One of the coverages you’re required to carry in Connecticut is uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Here’s everything you need to know about CT uninsured motorist coverage.
What is an uninsured motorist?
An uninsured motorist is exactly what it sounds like: a motorist that does not carry auto insurance. While insurance is a requirement for drivers in most states, this does not mean every single driver on the road is following the law. A driver without insurance, or with low insurance limits may not be able to pay for injuries they cause in an accident.
That’s where uninsured motorist coverage comes in. This protects you, your relatives who live in the same household as you and your passengers when hit by a driver who is operating their vehicle without insurance or with liability limits that don’t fully cover the injuries you sustained. It may also pay for injuries sustained in hit-and-run accidents. It doesn’t cover damages to your car.
Accidents with an uninsured driver
If you’ve been involved in any accident, you should exchange information with the other driver. Record their insurance policy number if available, and take down their phone number and license plate number. Call the police and file a police report. Then, contact your auto insurance carrier and open a claim.
If you were the victim of a hit-and-run, you probably won’t have much information. Call the police and file a report. Tell the officer everything you can remember about the accident. Contact your insurance carrier and open a claim.
This process can sound scary, but we’re here to help. Plymouth Rock makes it easy to file a claim, and our specialists will guide you through every step. Our skilled adjusters will review the accident and make sure your claim is settled in a timely manner.
How can you protect yourself and your family?
The best way to protect yourself and your family from uninsured or underinsured motorists and hit-and-run accidents is to carry more coverage.
Your uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is usually equal to your bodily injury liability coverage. In Connecticut, the minimum limit required by law is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. You can purchase more, up to double your bodily injury liability limit.
In Connecticut, you may also purchase underinsured motorist conversion coverage. This is an additional coverage that helps pay for damages beyond your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage limit.
Normally, your insurance will only pay for the damages up to your underinsured motorist coverage, even if the damages sustained exceed that.
Let’s say your UM/UIM coverage limit is $50,000. You were involved in an accident with an at-fault driver who only had $25,000 of liability coverage, and you suffered $75,000 worth of injuries. Without conversion coverage, you can only collect up to your limit of $50,000. With conversion coverage, you can stack your $50,000 coverage and the other driver’s $25,000 coverage to collect up to $75,000.
| Without conversion coverage | With conversion coverage |
| Collect only up to your UM/UIM limit | Collect up to your UM/UIM limit plus the at-fault driver’s liability limit. |
Remember that uninsured motorist coverage does not cover physical damage to your car, however. If you want to protect your vehicle, collision coverage helps pay for damages sustained from hitting another vehicle or object. It also covers cases like if you return to find that your car had been hit while it was parked.
| UM/UIM coverage | Collision coverage |
| Helps pay for your medical expenses | Helps pay to repair damage to your vehicle |
Still have questions about insurance in Connecticut? We’ll be happy to help. Contact us and one of our friendly insurance specialists will guide you through coverage options.
