Uninsured motorist coverage is precisely what its name implies it is: Insurance to cover the cost of damages that an uninsured driver causes. To date, only 18 states and the District of Columbia requires its drivers to carry this type of coverage. Kentucky is not one of them.
Though Kentucky does not require its drivers to carry UM insurance, those who can afford it should purchase a policy, and those who cannot should make room in their budgets for it. There are three good reasons for doing so.
A large percentage of drivers drive uninsured or with minimal coverage
Despite insurance requirements in all 50 states and D.C., NerdWallet reports that roughly 13% of U.S. drivers drive without auto insurance. This means that if a person is involved in an auto accident, there is a one in eight chance that the other driver does not have insurance to cover the cost of damages.
It is relatively cheap
Uninsured motorist coverage is one of the most affordable types of car insurance available. Even when a person purchases the same amount of coverage as his or her liability protection, UM is likely to cost half as much as liability insurance.
It offers considerable value
Despite its relatively low cost, UM coverage comes with considerable value. For instance, it does not just kick in when a person has zero insurance; it also kicks in when an at-fault driver’s policy is not enough to cover the cost of damages. Moreover, while a person can use health insurance to cover medical expenses, it may make more financial sense to use UM coverage. According to Forbes, unlike health insurance, uninsured motorist coverage does not charge deductibles, co-insurance or copays. UM coverage will also cover just about any injury-related expense such as hospitalization, which many health care policies do not do.
Finally, UM coverage provides considerable benefits that health insurance does not. Those include but are not limited to lost wages, compensation for pain and suffering, and funeral expenses.
