Understanding the coverage
1/7 California drivers are uninsured OR under-insured. It is illegal in California to operate a vehicle without auto liability. With that said, California requires 15/3/5 liability limits as a minimum requirement. This means $15,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $30,000 of bodily injury liability per accident and $5,000 property damage liability. There is a high probability that these liability limits won’t protect you property in the event of an at-fault accident.
With uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage it’s important to think about valuing your own life at the same level as you value someone else’s. This is why your uninsured motorist coverage should match your auto liability limits.
To illustrate this point, let’s think about a hypothetical accident. Someone rear ends you on the freeway due to stop and go traffic. You pull over at the next exit to exchange insurance information. You come to find out the person who hit you has no auto insurance. Who is going to pay for the damages to your vehicle?
In events like this, your uninsured motorist coverage can pay for those damages. It can pay for both bodily injury and property damage loss. It’s important to think about your life on the road, the lives of your passengers, and how the actions of others can directly affect you. With uninsured motorist coverage, you are protecting yourself when a 3rd party is unwilling to do so.