Uninsured Motorist Claim Calculator
Estimate a UM/UIM claim when the driver who hit you had no insurance — or not enough
An uninsured motorist claim has an awkward feature that catches most people off guard: you claim against your own insurer. The company you have paid for years now stands in the shoes of the driver who hit you, and it defends the claim the way that driver's insurer would have. Your damages are calculated the same way as in any injury claim — the difference is who pays and what limits apply.
Su lesión
Su Acuerdo Estimado
$39,000 — $69,000
Dolor y sufrimiento = $15,000 en facturas médicas × multiplicador de gravedad de 3.0. Sus facturas ya están incluidas en esa cifra, por lo que no se suman de nuevo.
What you'd actually take home
- Estimated settlement
- $54,000
- Attorney fee (33–40%)
- −$18,000 to −$21,600
- Roughly yours
- $32,400 – $36,000
Not included: case costs (court filing, expert witnesses, medical records) and any medical liens or health-insurance reimbursement. Those come out of your share too, so treat the figure above as an upper bound.
Keep this estimate — it is gone when you close the tab.
National Car Accident Payout Benchmark — all 50 states
Across all 50 states, this benchmark is based on 60,820 real payments totaling $2.3B from federal and municipal traffic accident claims nationwide.
Average
$39K
Median
$5K
25th %ile
$3K
90th %ile
$35K
Source: U.S. Treasury Judgment Fund, NYC Comptroller and City of Chicago claim records. These are nationwide figures pooled across all 50 states, not figures for any single state — do not read them as a state-level average. Actual payouts may vary based on individual circumstances.
Cómo Se Compara Su Estimación con los Datos de Reclamos de Seguros
Según los reclamos de responsabilidad por lesión corporal reportados a la NAIC en 50 estados (2020–2022):
Promedio Nacional
$29K
Promedio Nacional
$29K
Cambio en 3 Años
+18.4%
Su estimación está en un rango similar al reclamo promedio por lesión corporal a nivel nacional, lo cual es común en casos de lesión moderada.
Source: NAIC Auto Insurance Database Report (2022/2023 edition), 2020-2022 claim years. Figures are average paid bodily-injury liability claims, not total case values.
Revisado Editorialmente — Contenido revisado en cuanto a exactitud utilizando investigación legal publicada, datos gubernamentales y registros judiciales verificados. Vea nuestra metodología
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor
When UM and UIM Coverage Applies
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage applies when the at-fault driver had no liability insurance at all, and in most states also when they fled and were never identified — the hit-and-run case. Underinsured motorist (UIM) applies when they had insurance but not enough: a minimum-limits policy against a six-figure hospital bill.
UIM is where most serious injury claims actually land. Many states set liability minimums in the low tens of thousands, which a single surgery can exhaust. Once the at-fault policy is paid out, the remaining loss falls to your own UIM limits — which is why the limit you chose when buying the policy often decides the outcome more than any argument about fault.
Whether UIM pays on top of the other driver's policy or only the difference depends on your state and your policy wording, and some states allow stacking — adding the limits of multiple vehicles on the same policy. These are the two questions worth asking before anything else, because they set the ceiling on the claim.
Why Your Own Insurer Becomes the Opponent
The moment you make a UM/UIM claim, the relationship changes. Your insurer investigates fault, disputes injuries and values the claim — the same work the other side's insurer would have done. That is not misconduct; it is how the coverage is built. It does mean a recorded statement given casually to 'your own' adjuster is a statement given to the opposing party.
Deadlines are the other trap. UM/UIM claims are contract claims against your policy, not tort claims against a driver, and the policy itself often imposes notice requirements far shorter than the state's statute of limitations — sometimes measured in days for a hit-and-run. Missing a policy notice deadline can end a claim that the statute would still have allowed.
Uninsured Motorist Claim FAQs
What happens if the driver who hit me had no insurance?
Your own uninsured motorist coverage steps into their place, up to the limit on your policy. You still have to prove the other driver was at fault and prove your damages — the claim is simply paid by your insurer instead of theirs.
Does uninsured motorist coverage cover a hit-and-run?
In most states yes, provided the crash is reported promptly — often within 24 to 72 hours — and there is some corroboration that another vehicle was involved. Reporting delay is the most common reason these claims are denied.
What is the difference between UM and UIM?
UM applies when the at-fault driver had no insurance; UIM applies when they had some but not enough to cover your loss. UIM is the more common of the two in serious injury cases, because minimum-limits policies are widespread.
Will making a claim raise my premium?
Most states restrict surcharging a policyholder for a claim in which they were not at fault, and a UM/UIM claim is by definition a claim where someone else was at fault. Rules vary by state and by insurer, so it is worth asking directly rather than assuming.
Can I claim against my own policy and the other driver's?
In an underinsured case that is normally the sequence: the at-fault policy pays first, then UIM covers what is left, up to your limit. Whether UIM sits on top of the other policy or only fills the gap depends on your state and your policy language.
Accident Settlement Calculators by State
Deadlines and comparative-fault rules differ by state — see yours: