UM / UIM settlement estimator
Set the at-fault limit to $0 for a fully uninsured driver or hit-and-run.
$0 if they were uninsured or fled the scene.
Per-person uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on your policy.
Offset states subtract the at-fault limit from your UIM; add-on states stack it on top.
Estimated total recovery
$100,000
Quick answer
An uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) settlement equals your total damages — economic losses plus pain and suffering — first paid by the at-fault driver's liability insurer (often $0 if they were uninsured), with the remaining gap covered by your own UM/UIM limit. In offset states the at-fault payment is subtracted from your UIM limit; in add-on (excess) states your full UIM limit stacks on top. Your final recovery can never exceed your own UM/UIM coverage, so your limits matter as much as the injury.
Uninsured vs. underinsured motorist coverage
UM and UIM are both first-party coverages — they sit on your own auto policy and pay you when another driver causes the crash but can't fully pay. Most states sell them as a bundled UM/UIM coverage, with limits that usually mirror your bodily-injury liability limits unless you reject or reduce them in writing.
| Coverage | When it applies | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Uninsured motorist (UM) | At-fault driver has no liability insurance, or is an unidentified hit-and-run driver. | Your own insurer |
| Underinsured motorist (UIM) | At-fault driver has insurance, but their limit is too low to cover your damages. | At-fault insurer first, then yours |
| UMPD (property) | Vehicle damage from an uninsured driver, where the state offers it. | Your own insurer |
For property damage from any kind of crash, compare it with our car insurance claim & payout calculator.
The UM/UIM gap, with example math
The "gap" is the distance between what your claim is worth and what the at-fault driver can actually pay. Because so many drivers carry only state-minimum limits — frequently $25,000 per person — a moderately serious injury can blow straight through that limit. UIM coverage exists to fill the gap up to your own limit.
To build the underlying damages figure, see how the multiplier method works on our how much is my claim worth guide and our pain and suffering calculator.
Offset (credit) states vs. add-on (excess) states
How much UIM you can actually collect depends on your state's rule — and it's the single biggest reason two people with identical $100,000 limits walk away with very different numbers. The toggle in the calculator above switches between the two approaches.
Offset / credit states
Your UIM limit is reduced by the at-fault driver's payment. The insurer takes a "credit" for what was already paid, so you only collect the difference.
UIM available = your limit − at-fault payment
Add-on / excess states
Your full UIM limit applies on top of the at-fault payment. The two sources stack, so the same injury can recover substantially more.
UIM available = your full limit
States also differ on whether UIM even "triggers" — some compare limits (the at-fault limit must be lower than yours), while others compare the at-fault limit to your actual damages. Confirm your state's rule on our settlement calculator by state.
Stacking UM/UIM across vehicles
Stacking lets you add together the UM/UIM limits on more than one vehicle, or across more than one policy, to raise the total coverage available for a single crash. Intra-policy stacking combines limits across vehicles on one policy; inter-policy stacking combines separate policies (for example, in the same household). If you insure two cars at $50,000 UM each, stacking can give you $100,000 of protection for one accident.
Whether you can stack depends entirely on state law and your policy wording. Many states permit stacking unless you waived it in writing, while others — such as states with strong anti-stacking statutes — prohibit or sharply limit it. Pennsylvania, for instance, requires a specific written waiver to reject stacking. Always read your declarations page, and use the "vehicles to stack" control in the calculator only if your state allows it.
Hit-and-run and phantom-vehicle claims
When the at-fault driver is unidentified — a hit-and-run, or a "phantom vehicle" that runs you off the road without contact — there is no liability insurer to pursue, so the crash is handled as an uninsured motorist claim on your own policy. Set the at-fault BI limit to $0 in the calculator to model this scenario.
- • Report promptly to police — most states set a tight window (often 24–72 hours) to file a report.
- • Notify your own insurer quickly in writing to preserve the UM claim.
- • Corroboration may be required — some states demand physical contact or independent witness evidence for a phantom-vehicle claim.
Average UM/UIM settlement data
There is no reliable single "average" UM/UIM settlement, and you should be skeptical of any site that quotes one with false precision. The median auto-injury settlement sits well below the mean, because a small number of catastrophic-injury cases pull the average upward. Industry sources such as the Insurance Research Council and the Insurance Information Institute publish auto-injury severity data, but it is reported as broad ranges, not a fixed figure.
As a rough orientation only: minor soft-tissue UM/UIM claims commonly resolve in the $10,000–$25,000 range, moderate injuries in the $25,000–$100,000 range, and severe or catastrophic injuries above $100,000 — but every one of these is hard-capped by your own UM/UIM limit. A $25,000 limit cannot produce a $90,000 recovery no matter how serious the injury.
See the cited breakdown by injury type on our claim valuation guide.
Consent-to-settle, deadlines, and the claim sequence
A UIM claim follows a strict order, and missing a step can cost you the coverage. The usual sequence:
- Exhaust the at-fault driver's liability limits first — UIM only steps in after their policy is tapped out.
- Get written consent from your UIM insurer before accepting that liability settlement, so you don't waive its subrogation rights.
- Open the UIM claim with your own insurer for the remaining gap, documenting all damages.
- Negotiate or arbitrate — many UM/UIM policies route disputes to arbitration rather than court.
Watch two clocks: your state's statute of limitations for injury claims, and any shorter contractual notice or demand deadline written into your own policy for UM/UIM claims. The contractual deadline is easy to miss and can be far shorter than the statute.
Do you need a lawyer for a UM/UIM claim?
A UM/UIM claim is unusual: you are filing against your own insurer, the company you pay premiums to. That doesn't make it adversarial-free — the same valuation software and defensive tactics apply, and the consent-to-settle and offset rules create traps that quietly reduce or void recoveries.
- • An attorney coordinates the at-fault and UIM claims in the right order and protects subrogation rights.
- • They argue stacking and offset interpretation, which can swing the available coverage by tens of thousands.
- • Most personal injury attorneys work on contingency — typically about 33% — so there's no upfront cost.
Methodology & data sources
UM/UIM rules — offset vs. excess, trigger tests, stacking, and notice deadlines — vary significantly by state and by policy wording. Treat the result as an educational range and verify your own declarations page and state law.
Sources
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — Crash statistics and the economic cost of motor vehicle crashes.
- Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) — Auto insurance claim frequency, severity and average payout data.
- Insurance Research Council (IRC) — Bodily-injury and auto-injury settlement benchmarks.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — Taxability of personal-injury settlements (IRC §104).
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) — State insurance regulation and consumer guidance.
Figures are presented as low / typical / high ranges, not guarantees. Your actual result depends on liability, documentation, policy limits, and the laws of your state. This is an educational estimate, not legal or financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
There is no single average — UM/UIM payouts track injury severity and your coverage limits, not a fixed number. Insurance Research Council data shows minor soft-tissue claims often resolve for roughly $10,000–$25,000, while serious injuries reach six figures. Your recovery is ultimately capped by your own UM/UIM limit, so the policy you bought matters as much as the injury.
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage pays when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance or flees a hit-and-run. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage applies when they have insurance, but their limits are too low to cover your damages. Both are first-party coverages on your own policy, and most states sell them together as UM/UIM.
The gap is the difference between your damages and the at-fault driver's policy limit. If your injuries total $90,000 but the at-fault driver carries only a $25,000 minimum, you face a $65,000 shortfall. UIM coverage steps into that gap up to your own limit, which is why carrying limits well above the state minimum matters.
In an offset (credit) state, your UIM limit is reduced by the at-fault driver's liability payment, so a $100,000 UIM limit minus a $25,000 payment leaves $75,000. In an add-on or excess state, your full UIM limit stacks on top of what the at-fault insurer paid. The toggle in the calculator above lets you model both rules.
Stacking lets you combine UM/UIM limits across multiple vehicles on your policy (or across separate policies) to raise your total available coverage. If you carry $50,000 UM on two cars, stacking can give you $100,000. Many states allow it unless you waived it in writing, but several prohibit or restrict it — check your declarations page and state law.
Yes. A hit-and-run or phantom-vehicle crash is treated as an uninsured-motorist claim because the at-fault driver is unknown or unidentified. Most states require you to report the crash to police promptly and may require physical contact or independent corroborating evidence. Notify your own insurer quickly to preserve the claim.
Most UIM policies require you to get your own insurer's written consent before accepting a settlement from the at-fault driver. Settling and signing a release without consent can let your UIM carrier deny the claim, because it loses its right to pursue (subrogate against) the at-fault driver. Always notify your UIM insurer in writing before signing anything.
Not legally, but a UM/UIM claim is unusual because you are negotiating against your own insurer, which still values claims defensively. An attorney handles the consent-to-settle steps, deadlines, stacking arguments, and offset disputes, and Insurance Research Council data has long shown represented claimants recover more on average. Most work on contingency.