Uninsured Motorist Coverage for Teen Drivers
Uninsured Motorist Coverage pays for your teen's medical bills and vehicle damage when they're hit by a driver with no insurance or a hit-and-run driver.
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What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM) has two components: Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury (UMBI) pays medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering when an uninsured driver injures your teen, while Uninsured Motorist Property Damage (UMPD) covers vehicle repairs when an uninsured driver hits your teen's car. This coverage also applies to hit-and-run accidents where the at-fault driver flees.
Who Needs Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Teen drivers have higher accident rates, and when they're the victim of an uninsured driver, UM coverage protects your family from catastrophic medical bills and lost wages.
Match your UM limits to your liability limits as a baseline rule—this ensures your teen has the same protection you're providing to others.
How Much Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
- Teen's driving record and location — a teen with a ticket or accident may see higher UM premiums in states where insurers can factor this into UM pricing
- Stacking vs non-stacking in multi-vehicle households — Florida, Pennsylvania, and some other states let you 'stack' UM limits across multiple vehicles for higher premiums, multiplying your coverage when the teen is hit while driving
- Mandatory vs optional status — states requiring UM coverage (like Illinois and Kansas) often have lower per-policy costs due to larger risk pools, while optional states may charge more
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage apply if my teen causes an accident?
No. UM coverage only pays when an uninsured or underinsured driver hits your teen and is at fault. If your teen causes an accident, your liability coverage pays for the other party's damages regardless of whether they have insurance. UM provides no benefit in at-fault accidents.
Does my car insurance cover my teen if they're hit by an uninsured driver while driving someone else's car?
Your UM bodily injury coverage typically follows your teen as a named insured on your policy, covering their medical bills even when driving a friend's car with permission. However, UMPD (property damage) typically covers only vehicles listed on your policy. If your teen borrows a friend's car and an uninsured driver damages it, the friend's UMPD or collision coverage applies first, not yours.
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