It isn’t legally required in California to buy uninsured motorist coverage, but it's a good thing to have considering California’s high rate of uninsured drivers and the many hit-and-run accidents that occur throughout the Golden State.

As a California driver, you must carry a minimum amount of

liability insurance

to legally hit the road, which protects other drivers in case of injury or damages should you cause an accident. However, if you’re involved in an accident with another driver who happens to be uninsured or underinsured, you could be on the hook for sizable medical costs if the other driver isn’t covered—that is, of course, if you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage.

Jerry

, the trustworthy super app that simplifies the process of buying

car insurance

, has everything you need to know about protecting yourself from uninsured and underinsured drivers in California. We’ll also offer some tips on lowering your

California car insurance costs

, so read on!

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Do you need uninsured motorist coverage in California?

Drivers in California are not required to purchase

uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

, but both are good to have.

According to the

Insurance Information Institute

, more than 16% of California drivers are uninsured, making it one of the worst states in the country for uninsured drivers.

This means nearly 1 in 7 California drivers have no insurance coverage whatsoever. If you’re in the unfortunate position of being involved in a collision with one of these drivers, and they’re at fault? You could be facing significant medical and property damages, costs you’ll have to pay for on your own if the at-fault driver has no coverage.

Luckily, with uninsured motorist added to your policy, you’ll be covered. Best of all, uninsured motorist coverage is pretty cheap to add to your policy. In California, the cost of adding UM coverage to your car insurance policy is between $50-$75 per year—a small price to pay for essential coverage.

MORE:

The amount of uninsured drivers on the road

How uninsured motorist insurance works in California

As a California driver, you’re legally required to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage only—this doesn’t include

collision insurance

comprehensive insurance

, which cover your own costs if you’re involved in an accident where you are not at fault.

Medical payments coverage (MedPay)

is also not required in California.

So, if you only purchase liability coverage and forgo full coverage, you are putting yourself at significant risk if you’re involved in an accident where another driver does not carry any insurance, as your minimum liability coverage won’t help you.

If you find yourself in the ER from a car accident that isn’t your fault, and the at-fault driver has no insurance, you could find yourself facing a sizable medical bill—the average California ER visit costs $2,960. Tack on ambulance bills, prescription costs, surgery costs, rehabilitation, lost wages, and damaged future earnings potential, and you could be facing a significant financial hole—all because you didn’t carry UM coverage.

What’s available

If you’re wondering what kind of UM coverage you can buy in California, you’re in the right place.

The UM/UIM coverage in the Golden State falls into three categories:

Uninsured motorist bodily injury (UM/UMBI): pays for injuries to you and anyone else in your car during an accident with an uninsured driver, and that driver is at-fault

Underinsured motorist bodily injury (UIM/UIMBI): pays for injuries suffered by you and anyone else in your car caused by an underinsured driver

Uninsured motorist property damage (UM/UMPD): covers property damage suffered by you in an accident with an uninsured driver, but the at-fault driver must be identified

Even though UM coverage is not required in California, all insurers are required to offer it to you. California insurers must offer the following UM coverage:

$15,000 uninsured bodily injury per each individual per accident

$30,000 uninsured bodily injury per accident

$3,500 uninsured property damage per accident

What it covers

In general, uninsured motorist coverage in California will cover the medical bills that you and your passengers accrue due to an accident where an uninsured driver was at fault.

The costs UM coverage pays for are not limited to ER bills and costs incurred due to surgery. UM/UIM usually covers the following:

Future medical costs

Lost earnings

Long-term rehab costs or nursing care

Needed medical devices including wheelchairs

Renovating your home in case you are disabled due to an accident

Pain and suffering (depending on the circumstances)

Figuring out how to pay for your medical bills, or those of a loved one, is the last thing anyone wants to do, after suffering through an accident—especially one that wasn’t your fault. Adding uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to your car insurance is an easy and painless way to protect yourself from the audacity of uninsured and underinsured drivers.

How to make a claim

If you’re ever involved in a car accident, you’ll want to exchange insurance information with any other drivers involved—after making sure that everyone involved is ok. If you or one of your passengers are injured and the at-fault driver has no insurance, or too little of it, you’re going to have to file a UM/UIM claim.

Filing a claim is a relatively easy process. Give your insurer a call and explain what happened. Be sure to provide documents including traffic reports, medical records, and any bills from the hospital or your doctor, to your insurer. The more documentation you can hand over to your insurer, the easier it will be to get your claim processed.

MORE:

Here’s what happens if you’re in a car accident without insurance

Why it’s a good idea to buy uninsured motorist insurance in California

We know that money doesn’t grow on trees and that many drivers will balk at paying extra for UM/UIM coverage. That being said, there are two very good reasons why adding UM/UIM coverage to your insurance policy is a no-brainer.

California is #1 in the nation for hit-and-run accidents

There’s a downside to being the most populated state in the country—according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), California is number one when it comes to

hit-and-run

accidents by state. The Golden State accounts for more than 17% of the entire country’s fatal hit-and-run accidents. If you’re hit by a driver without insurance and they flee, you won’t be able to file a claim with their insurer, which is why UM/UIM coverage is so vital.

MORE:

Should I get a lawyer after a hit-and-run accident?

Up to one in seven California drivers is uninsured

Up to 1 in 7 California drivers have no insurance or roughly 16% of all drivers on the road. In a state of roughly 39 million people, that’s a staggering amount of uninsured drivers—about 6.2 million of them. According to the University of California (Berkeley),

Los Angeles

has the most hit-and-runs in the state.

Even if you don’t call LA home, the Golden State has more uninsured drivers than anyone wants. That’s reason enough to add UM/UIM coverage to your insurance policy.

How to save on uninsured motorist coverage in California

We get that adding uninsured motorist coverage might not be something you want to do because of the cost. But if you can find a car insurance policy that offers a ton of protection (including UM coverage) at an affordable price, would you be interested?

We thought so—with

Jerry

, finding an awesome car insurance policy at a price you want to pay has never been easier. Sign-up takes just 45 seconds, and then Jerry’s

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