What does The Hartford uninsured motorist insurance cover?

Yes, you need uninsured motorist coverage even if you have collision and comprehensive coverage. Collision insurance will pay to repair your vehicle if you’re hit by an uninsured driver, but it won’t pay for any of your medical expenses, and comprehensive insurance won’t cover your costs at all after a collision. Comprehensive insurance only pays for repairs if your car is damaged by something other than a collision, such as vandalism or a natural disaster. And you would need uninsured motorist coverage, ... read full answerpersonal injury protection (PIP) or MedPay to cover your medical expenses after a collision with an uninsured driver.

Types of Underinsured Motorist Coverage

There are two types of uninsured motorist coverage: bodily injury (UMBI) and property damage (UMPD). UMBI pays for your medical expenses after an accident caused by an uninsured motorist, while UMPD pays to repair or replace your car.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia require drivers to carry some type of uninsured motorist coverage. Some states like North Carolina and West Virginia require drivers to carry both types, while others like New York and Oregon only require uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage. And in some other states, insurance companies don’t offer uninsured motorist property damage coverage at all.

When To Have Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Since collision and comprehensive coverage don’t cover medical expenses after an accident, you should carry uninsured motorist bodily injury insurance even if it’s not required in your state. The exception to this would be if you already carry personal injury protection or MedPay, which pay for your medical bills in accidents regardless of fault or if the other driver is uninsured.

If uninsured motorist property damage coverage isn’t available in your state or you’re not required to carry it, then you can purchase collision insurance instead. Unlike UMPD, collision insurance will cover repairs even if you were at fault, which gives you a wider safety net. However, UMPD is usually less expensive than collision insurance and carries a lower deductible.

The Hartford comprehensive insurance covers damage to the policyholder’s car that was caused by something other than a collision, such as vandalism or a natural disaster. The Hartford comprehensive coverage will pay up to the actual cash value of the vehicle, minus any deductible, for covered repairs.

What The Hartford Comprehensive Car Insurance Covers... read full answer

• Theft
• Vandalism and damage from civil disturbances
• Damage from falling objects, like trees
• Fire damage
• Animal damage, including damage caused by collisions with deer
• Damage from natural disasters and other weather events, like hail
• Glass damage that was not caused by a car accident

Comprehensive insurance is not mandatory in any state. However, dealerships and lenders generally require it on leased and financed cars in order to protect their investment.

Drivers almost always purchase comprehensive insurance together with collision insurance, which pays to repair or replace the covered vehicle after a car accident regardless of who was at fault. Policies that include comprehensive and collision insurance plus the state’s minimum coverage requirements are often referred to as “full coverage.”

You can call customer service at (877) 896-9320 to add comprehensive insurance to your policy.

To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide to comprehensive insurance.

Yes, uninsured motorist insurance covers a hit and run in most states. In some states, including California and Illinois, however, drivers cannot use uninsured motorist property damage coverage to repair or replace their vehicle if the at-fault driver is unidentified. In these instances, drivers must file a claim with their ... read full answercollision insurance, if they have it.

Laws on uninsured motorist insurance vary widely across the country. But most places allow drivers to use uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) coverage if they are injured in an accident caused by an unidentified driver. Otherwise, drivers with personal injury protection or MedPay can file an injury claim with these policies.

Rules on using uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) for hit and runs can be stricter in order to avoid fraudulent claims, and UMPD is not even available in certain states. In addition to the states that do not allow UMPD to be used for a hit and run, some other states require the at-fault driver to have made contact with your car, as opposed to simply running you off the road or causing you to crash. It’s also worth noting that Oregon and Washington have higher UMPD deductibles for hit and run claims compared with claims for damage caused by an identified driver. Indiana, on the other hand, waives your UMPD deductible if your car was hit while empty and legally parked.

If you have uninsured motorist coverage and are involved in a hit and run, it’s best to check with your insurer to determine if your state’s laws allow you to file a claim. If not, you should consider your other options based on the types of insurance coverage you carry.