Winter on the Wasatch Front means black ice on I-15 and whiteouts in Parleys. Most Utah drivers figure that if someone slides into them, the other driver’s insurance will take care of it. But when the other driver has no insurance, too little insurance or drives away, your own underinsured motorist coverage and uninsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) are what protect you and your family.
Utah actually has one of the lowest uninsured driver rates in the country. The Insurance Research Council (IRC) estimated that 6.2% of Utah drivers were uninsured in 2023, second-lowest of any state. The same study found that nationwide, one in three drivers (33.4%) was either uninsured or underinsured in 2023. In Utah, “underinsured” is the bigger risk.
Here are five UM/UIM gaps we see most often, and how to fix them before the roads turn icy.
1. The Other Driver Carries Utah’s Minimum Limits
The gap: Utah requires drivers to carry at least $30,000 per person and $65,000 per accident for bodily injury liability, plus $25,000 for property damage (“30/65/25”), according to the Utah Insurance Department. Those minimums haven’t kept pace with the cost of an ambulance ride, surgery, physical therapy and months of missed work. A driver can be fully legal and still badly underinsured.
Utah is also a no-fault state, so your own personal injury protection (PIP) pays the first $3,000 of each injured person’s medical bills before you claim against the at-fault driver.
The claim scenario: Imagine a pickup slides through a red light in Orem and T-bones your minivan. Your spouse needs surgery and misses four months of work. The other driver has a 30/65 policy. Their insurer pays $30,000 for your spouse’s claim, and the rest of the bills are still in front of you.
The fix: Underinsured motorist coverage fills that gap. Under Utah Code § 31A-22-305.3, your UIM is added on top of the at-fault driver’s liability limits rather than reduced by them. With $250,000 of UIM, that same family could look to $30,000 from the other driver plus up to $250,000 from their own policy.
2. Someone Signed Your UM/UIM Limits Down
The gap: Utah sets a good default. On policies written since 2001, your UM and UIM limits automatically equal your bodily injury liability limits (or the highest UM/UIM limits your insurer offers, if lower). The only way to carry less is for a named insured to sign a waiver form rejecting the coverage or choosing lower limits. Under Utah Code § 31A-22-305, that election stays with the insurer until you ask in writing to change it.
Many people sign it to save a few dollars, then forget about it for years.
The claim scenario: Imagine you carry $250,000 in liability, but when you bought the policy a decade ago you signed UIM down to the $10,000 per person minimum the statute allows. After a serious crash, you discover your own coverage for your injuries is a small fraction of what you assumed.
The fix: Pull out your declarations page and compare your bodily injury liability limits to your UM and UIM limits. If they don’t match, ask us what it would cost to bring them back up.
3. Low Liability Limits Mean Low UIM Limits
The gap: Because Utah ties your UM/UIM to your own liability limits, a driver who buys bare minimum liability usually ends up with minimum UM/UIM too.
Umbrella policies can be a trap as well. A personal umbrella adds liability protection on top of your auto policy, but many umbrella policies don’t include UM/UIM coverage unless it’s specifically offered and added. Availability varies by carrier.
The claim scenario: Imagine a young couple carries 30/65/25 to keep their payment low. A distracted driver with the same minimum limits rear-ends them in a snowstorm on Bangerter Highway. Both are hurt. They collect from the other driver’s small policy, then from their own equally small UIM, and still owe medical bills.
The fix: Most families are better off with at least 100/300 in liability, and many should look at 250/500. Your UM/UIM rises with it. If you have an umbrella, ask whether it includes UM/UIM.
4. Two Cars Don’t Mean Double the Coverage
The gap: Many drivers assume that if they have $100,000 of UIM on each of three cars, they have $300,000 available. In Utah, generally not. Utah Code § 31A-22-305.3 says UIM limits for two or more vehicles may not be added together, or “stacked,” for one accident. If you’re hurt in your own insured car, you generally can’t collect UIM from another policy either.
There are narrow exceptions. A covered person hit as a pedestrian or hurt while riding in someone else’s car may be able to collect under one additional policy. Resident relatives, including a student temporarily away at college, are also covered persons.
The claim scenario: Imagine you’re driving your own car when an underinsured driver hits you on an icy canyon road. You have three vehicles on your policy, each with $100,000 of UIM. You can collect up to $100,000, not $300,000.
The fix: Choose your UM/UIM limit based on what one serious injury would cost your family, not on how many cars are in the driveway. If you need more than your auto policy offers, ask about an umbrella that includes UM/UIM.
5. Hit-and-Run and Your Car: Collision Does the Heavy Lifting
The gap: Utah’s UM coverage does include injuries caused by an unidentified driver who left the scene. But damage to your car is a different story. Utah’s uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) coverage under § 31A-22-305.5 is only available on policies without collision coverage, pays the lesser of the car’s actual cash value or $3,500, and doesn’t apply to hit-and-run vehicles.
The claim scenario: Imagine you come out of a ski resort parking lot to find your SUV’s rear quarter panel crushed and no note. Without collision coverage, you’re paying for the repair yourself.
The fix: Keep collision coverage on any vehicle you couldn’t afford to repair or replace out of pocket. Some carriers waive or reduce the collision deductible when an identified uninsured driver is at fault, so ask what yours does. If you drop collision on an older car, ask about UMPD.
💡 Ask your agent:
- Do my UM and UIM limits match my bodily injury liability limits, or did someone sign them down?
- If I or my spouse were seriously hurt by a minimum-limits driver, how much would actually be available?
- Does my umbrella policy include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage?
Quick Reference: Who Pays When Someone Hits You in Utah
| Coverage | What it pays for | Utah detail |
|---|---|---|
| PIP | Your medical bills and some lost wages, regardless of fault | At least $3,000 medical per person |
| Underinsured motorist (UIM) | Your injuries when the at-fault driver’s limits run out | Added on top of the other driver’s limits |
| Uninsured motorist (UM) | Your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance or flees | Defaults to your liability limits unless waived |
| Collision | Damage to your car, including hit-and-run | Subject to your deductible |
| UMPD | Your car, if hit by an identified uninsured driver | Only without collision; lesser of ACV or $3,500 |
The Bottom Line on Underinsured Motorist Coverage in Utah
Utah’s low uninsured rate is good news, but it doesn’t help much when the driver who hits you carries $30,000 of coverage. The right underinsured motorist coverage, solid liability limits and collision on the cars that matter make the difference between an inconvenience and a financial setback. Winter is the right time to check.
If your business vehicles need the same review, read our post on hired and non-owned auto gaps. Getting your home ready for winter too? Check out frozen pipes and water backup gaps.
Contact Insure Right Insurance Agency at (801) 407-8360 or [email protected]. Our office is at 831 E 340 S, Suite 200, American Fork, UT 84003.
This post is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal or insurance advice. Coverage availability and terms vary by carrier and state. Consult with a licensed insurance professional for advice specific to your situation.
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