J. Hartley | May 12, 2026 | Car Accidents
Damages after a car accident can add up quickly, especially if you suffered severe injuries. Medical bills alone can easily rise into the tens of thousands of dollars. So, what happens if the driver who caused the crash doesn’t have insurance or doesn’t have enough insurance coverage to pay for all your losses?
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage can kick in to help, so keep reading below to learn all the details.
What Is Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
Uninsured motorist coverage can help pay for your damages if you are involved in an accident with a driver who does not have liability insurance. Even careful drivers can be hit by someone who failed to carry proper coverage. Without uninsured motorist coverage, you may have difficulty recovering compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other losses after a crash.
Underinsured motorist coverage works in a similar way. Sometimes, the at-fault driver has insurance, but their policy limits are too low to fully cover the damage they caused. If your injuries are serious and your losses exceed the other driver’s coverage, your underinsured motorist coverage may help pay the remaining damages.
What Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Pay For?
Uninsured motorist coverage will typically cover anything that should have been covered by the other driver’s liability coverage if they had it. This means that uninsured motorist coverage will pay for both your economic and non-economic damages.
Some common damages that may be covered by your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
Putting a value on your economic damages is usually pretty straightforward. The value of these losses can easily be proven with bills, receipts, and other documentation.
However, putting a value on your pain and suffering damages can be more challenging. These damages are often valued anywhere from 1 to 5 times your economic losses, and having an experienced lawyer on your side can help ensure you are getting a fair and accurate amount.
Is Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Coverage Mandatory in California?
No, uninsured and underinsured coverage is not mandatory in California. However, insurers are required to offer these coverages with every automobile policy. If you decide to decline coverage, you must do so in writing.
Roughly 20 states have made uninsured motorist coverage mandatory. This is due to the high number of drivers on the road without insurance. In many cases, drivers with insurance do not have enough coverage.
California’s minimum insurance requirements are higher than in many other states, and include:
- $30,000 per person for bodily injury
- $60,000 per accident for bodily injury
- $15,000 property damage
Even these amounts are likely not enough to cover serious injuries. Medical bills alone can easily exceed these coverage amounts, so having uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can help ensure you are able to recover enough compensation after an accident.
What to Do After an Accident With an Uninsured Motorist
If you get into an accident with an uninsured motorist, knowing what to do can help protect your legal rights and preserve your ability to get compensation.
It is important to remain calm and follow these steps:
- Call the police so that they can respond to the accident and create an accident report.
- Get immediate medical assistance for any injuries.
- Gather as much evidence as you can from the scene, such as photos of the vehicles, photos of your injuries, and contact information from witnesses.
- Notify your insurance company of the accident.
- Get help from an experienced personal injury lawyer.
Taking these steps can help protect your health, document the crash, and preserve your ability to pursue compensation.
Contact the El Segundo Car Accident Lawyers at J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can provide important protection after a crash with a driver who has little or no insurance. Understanding how this coverage works can help you make informed decisions after an accident.
If you’ve been hurt in a car accident in El Segundo, CA, or the surrounding communities in California, contact J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers today to discuss your case during a free consultation.
J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers
880 Apollo St, El Segundo, CA 90245
(323) 284-2834