---
title: "Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM): What It Pays | Riskado"
description: "Underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) helps pay your covered injury losses when an at-fault driver's insurance is too low. See a worked example and state rules."
url: "https://riskado.com/insurance-terms/underinsured-motorist-coverage/"
lang: "en"
published: "2026-07-22"
modified: "2026-10-01"
image: "https://riskado.com/og/default.jpg"
alternates:
  es: "https://riskado.com/es/terminos-de-seguros/cobertura-de-automovilistas-con-seguro-insuficiente.md"
---

# Underinsured motorist coverage

[Auto](https://riskado.com/auto-insurance/) · Updated Oct 1, 2026

Underinsured motorist coverage, or UIM, helps pay covered bodily-injury losses when another driver is legally responsible but carries too little liability insurance. Your insurer pays within the UIM limit, subject to the policy, state law, offsets, exclusions and any exhaustion or settlement requirements.

Also called: uim, underinsured motorist, uninsured/underinsured motorist, um/uim

[Uninsured motorist coverage guides](https://riskado.com/uninsured-motorist-coverage/)

UIM comes into play after the at-fault driver's [liability insurance](https://riskado.com/insurance-terms/liability-insurance/) has paid and your covered injury losses are still not fully met. It pays for your bodily injuries and those of your passengers when an underinsured driver is [at fault](https://riskado.com/insurance-terms/at-fault-accident/), and state law or the [policy](https://riskado.com/insurance-terms/policy/) defines "underinsured," according to the [NAIC (opens in a new tab)](https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/committees_c_trans_read_wg_related_shopping_tool_auto_singles_0.pdf). UIM is commonly bodily-injury [coverage](https://riskado.com/insurance-terms/coverage/), so repairs to your car fall under [collision](https://riskado.com/insurance-terms/collision-coverage/) or a separate property-damage option, which [Comprehensive vs Collision Insurance](https://riskado.com/comprehensive-vs-collision-insurance/) compares.

## How a UIM payment is worked out

This example uses the Connecticut minimum [limits](https://riskado.com/insurance-terms/limit-of-liability/) published by the [Connecticut Insurance Department (opens in a new tab)](https://portal.ct.gov/cid/consumer-information-center/auto-insurance). Say covered bodily-injury damages total $100,000, the at-fault driver's bodily-injury limit is $25,000, and your UIM limit is $50,000 per person.

Illustrative UIM claim under a policy that reduces its limit

Hover or tap a row to highlight it.

| Step | Amount |
| --- | --- |
| Covered bodily-injury damages | $100,000 |
| At-fault driver's bodily-injury limit | $25,000 |
| Your UIM limit, per person | $50,000 |
| At-fault insurer pays | $25,000 |
| Your UIM insurer pays ($50,000 minus $25,000) | $25,000 |
| Total received | $50,000 |
| Unpaid damages ($100,000 minus $50,000) | $50,000 |

The figures are an illustration, not an average claim result. The payment depends on liability, the damages you can legally recover, the policy's definition of an underinsured vehicle, exhaustion of the other driver's limits, offsets and exclusions. Connecticut's optional conversion coverage works differently, because its limit is not reduced by payments from the at-fault driver or other sources, according to [Bulletin PC-48 (opens in a new tab)](https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/cid/pc48pdf.pdf?la=en).

## Options and what each changes

How UIM is written changes who is covered, what losses count and how much you can collect.

- **Bodily-injury limits.** Limits are stated per person and per accident, such as $25,000/$50,000 or $100,000/$300,000, and the limit is generally the most payable under the coverage, subject to the policy's calculation method.
- **UIM property damage.** Some states and policies add it for vehicle or other covered property damage caused by an underinsured driver.
- **Standard UIM or conversion coverage.** Standard UIM may reduce the available limit by payments from the at-fault driver, while Connecticut conversion coverage is not reduced by those payments.

The premium change for a higher limit comes from the insurer's quote. For Connecticut pricing, see [Average Cost of Car Insurance in Connecticut](https://riskado.com/average-cost-of-car-insurance-in-connecticut/).

## Where you will see UIM

UIM belongs mainly to a personal or commercial auto policy. It may read UIM bodily injury, UIMBI, UM/UIM, UIM property damage, UIMPD, or, in New York, supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, called SUM. A homeowners, condo, renters, life, health or pet policy does not ordinarily include it.

The declarations page shows UIM as a coverage and a limit. The endorsement or insuring agreement defines who is insured and what losses qualify, and the exclusions and conditions address consent to settlement, notice, arbitration, offsets, exhaustion of the other driver's limits and stacking. It also appears on quotes, renewal offers, waiver forms and claim decisions.

Uninsured motorist coverage, or UM, applies when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance, is unidentified in a qualifying hit-and-run, or has an insurer that denies coverage or becomes insolvent. Collision pays for physical damage to your vehicle whether or not the other driver has enough insurance, and it commonly carries a deductible.

## What Connecticut and New York change

Under [Conn. Gen. Stat. § 38a-336 (opens in a new tab)](https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_700.htm#sec_38a-336), each Connecticut automobile liability policy must provide uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for insured persons legally entitled to recover damages for bodily injury or death. The coverage must generally equal the bodily-injury liability limits you buy, unless a named insured asks for less in writing, and it cannot fall below the statutory minimum. Connecticut's minimum bodily-injury limits are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage must be at least $25,000/$50,000, according to the Connecticut Insurance Department. Insurers must offer conversion coverage for an additional premium under [§ 38a-336a (opens in a new tab)](https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_700.htm#sec_38a-336a).

New York requires basic uninsured-motorist protection under [Insurance Law § 3420(f) (opens in a new tab)](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ISC/3420), and insurers must offer SUM coverage. SUM is generally included at the insured's bodily-injury liability limits unless the first named insured rejects it or chooses lower limits on the required form, and the other vehicle's bodily-injury limits generally must be exhausted before the SUM insurer pays. Minimum uninsured-motorist protection is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, and basic protection does not cover damage to your vehicle, according to [New York DFS (opens in a new tab)](https://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumers/auto_insurance/Auto_resource_center).

## Questions to ask your agent or insurer

1.  Is my coverage UIM bodily injury, UIM property damage or both, and what are the limits per person and per accident? Bodily injury and property damage are separate protections in many policies, and the displayed limit may not apply to every type of loss.
2.  How is the payment calculated after the other driver's liability insurer pays? Standard UIM may reduce the available limit by that payment, while conversion coverage may use a different calculation, as [Bulletin PC-48 (opens in a new tab)](https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/cid/pc48pdf.pdf?la=en) shows.
3.  Does my state or policy allow stacking, and does this policy prohibit it? Stacking can affect whether limits from several vehicles or policies combine, according to [Bulletin PC-65 (opens in a new tab)](https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/CID/BullPC65pdf.pdf).
4.  Do I need the insurer's consent before accepting a settlement from the at-fault driver? Some policy provisions make payment depend on consent or on exhaustion of the other driver's limits, and Connecticut's minimum provisions permit an exclusion for a claim settled without the insurer's consent.
5.  What notice, proof, medical records and claim deadlines apply if I make a UIM claim? UIM claims are subject to policy conditions and state rules, and Connecticut law requires reasonable efforts to establish the other vehicle's liability coverage.

## Frequently asked questions

Short answers to questions that come up when reading a policy, a quote or a claim letter.

### Does UIM pay after the other driver's insurance is used?

Usually, yes. UIM addresses the covered bodily-injury loss that remains when the at-fault driver has liability insurance but too little of it. The other driver's applicable limits may need to be exhausted first, and the UIM payment may be reduced by what that insurer pays.

### Can the UIM limit be combined with another vehicle or policy?

Sometimes, but not everywhere. Stacking depends on state law, the policy and its endorsements. Some policies expressly prohibit combining limits, and Nevada coverage cannot be combined or stacked, regardless of how many vehicles are listed, according to the [Nevada Division of Insurance (opens in a new tab)](https://doi.nv.gov/uploadedfiles/doinvgov/_public-documents/Consumers/4905.NV.0211.pdf).

### Does UIM apply after a hit-and-run?

A qualifying hit-and-run is generally handled under uninsured motorist coverage. A claim against a driver who carries minimal insurance may require UIM. Ask your insurer which one applies to your claim.

## Related terms