Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Alaska
Uninsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries and sometimes your car when the driver who hit you has no insurance at all.
What it pays for
Covers
- Your medical bills Covers treatment for injuries you suffered in a crash caused by a driver with no insurance.
- Lost income Pays for work you missed while recovering, if the at-fault driver can't.
- Pain and suffering Allows a claim for the physical and emotional toll of the crash, not just the bills.
- Hit-and-run crashes Applies when the other driver flees and can't be identified, since there's no insurance to collect from either way.
- Passengers in your car Extends to people riding with you, not just you as the driver.
- Car damage, if you added it Some policies let you add a version that covers your vehicle, not just people, when the other driver is uninsured.
Doesn't cover
- Damage from weather or animals Hail, deer, and falling branches are a comprehensive claim, not an uninsured motorist claim.
- Your own fault accidents This coverage only applies when another driver is legally at fault and uninsured.
- Vehicle damage, in most cases Unless you added the vehicle version of this coverage, it pays for people, not the car.
- Underinsured drivers automatically A driver with too little insurance is handled by a related but separate part of this coverage, and it may not come standard.
- Property other than your car Fences, mailboxes, or other property damaged in the same crash fall under a different part of your policy.
Worth keeping for almost everyone, even if you rarely drive far
This isn't the coverage you drop to save money. Whether other drivers around you carry insurance isn't something you control, and that risk doesn't go away because you drive less or drive carefully.
If you're still working, lost income coverage matters less, but the medical and pain and suffering parts still protect you and anyone riding with you. A spouse or a grandchild in the back seat is covered the same way you are.
What matters more at this age is whether you've also added the vehicle version of this coverage. If your car is older and close to paid off, you may already have comprehensive and collision dropped, which means a hit from an uninsured driver could leave you covering the car damage yourself unless you added that option.
Whether this coverage is required, optional, or automatically included varies from state to state, so check your own policy or declarations page to see exactly what you're carrying.
How a claim actually goes
You typically don't deal with the other driver's insurer, because there isn't one. Instead you file the claim with your own insurer, under this part of your policy, and they investigate and pay it directly.
If you added the vehicle damage version of this coverage, a deductible usually applies to that part, similar to how collision coverage works. The medical and income portions typically don't carry a separate deductible, but check your declarations page to be sure.
Have the police report ready, along with any photos from the scene and contact information for witnesses. If the other driver fled, the report establishing that they couldn't be identified is often central to the claim.
Your insurer may ask you to prove the other driver was in fact uninsured, which usually means they check state records themselves, but having any information you gathered at the scene speeds things along.
Uninsured motorist coverage vs. underinsured motorist coverage
Uninsured motorist coverage
Applies when the at-fault driver has no insurance at all, or fled the scene and can't be identified. It steps in completely because there's nothing to collect from otherwise.
Underinsured motorist coverage
Applies when the at-fault driver has insurance, but not enough to cover your full losses. It fills the gap between what their policy pays and what you actually need.
Most people want both, since you can't know in advance which kind of driver will hit you.
Real situations
You're stopped at a light and a driver rear-ends you, then admits at the scene they let their insurance lapse months ago.
This pays, since the other driver is at fault and uninsured.
A hailstorm damages your car's roof and hood while it's parked outside during a service at church.
This doesn't pay, since no other driver is involved; that's a comprehensive claim.
A deer runs into the road at dusk and you swerve into a ditch trying to avoid it, with no other car involved.
This doesn't pay, since there's no other driver at fault; comprehensive coverage handles animal collisions.
Once you know how you want uninsured motorist coverage set up, compare quotes to see what different insurers charge for it.
Questions people ask about this
Do I need uninsured motorist coverage if I have health insurance?
Yes, because health insurance doesn't cover lost income, pain and suffering, or often the full cost of treatment after a crash. Health insurance may also expect repayment from any settlement you receive. The two work together rather than replacing each other.
How do I know if the other driver was actually uninsured?
The police report at the scene usually notes whether the other driver could provide proof of insurance. Your insurer will also verify this independently through state records before paying a claim. If you're unsure, report the claim anyway and let your insurer investigate.
Can I be sued by an uninsured driver who hit me?
It's uncommon, but it's possible if fault is disputed. Carrying your own liability coverage protects you in situations unrelated to the other driver's insurance status. This is a separate concern from whether they can pay for your damages.
Does uninsured motorist coverage raise my rates if I use it?
It depends on your insurer and the circumstances, since you weren't at fault. Some insurers treat it differently from an at-fault claim when they set future rates. Ask your agent how your specific policy handles this before you assume either way.
What happens if the uninsured driver has some assets I could pursue?
You can generally still pursue the other driver directly for anything your coverage doesn't fully pay. This is separate from your insurance claim and typically requires your own legal action. Most people rely on their coverage instead, since collecting from an individual can be difficult.
