Car policy confusing? Ask Poli.
What does uninsured motorist coverage actually pay for?
UM and UIM cover what the other driver should have paid you and could not. The limits, the stacking rules and the property-damage piece are all separate questions.
What filed auto forms generally say
Uninsured motorist coverage pays damages you are legally entitled to recover from an at-fault driver who has no liability insurance; underinsured motorist coverage responds when their limits run out.
Bodily injury and property damage are usually separate coverages with separate limits, and UM property damage often carries its own small deductible.
Most forms reduce or offset what they pay by amounts already recovered from the at-fault driver or other sources, which is why the payout is rarely the stated limit on top of everything else.
Why your policy can still say something else
Limits, offsets, whether limits can be stacked across vehicles, and whether a hit-and-run counts as uninsured are governed by your form and by state-specific amendatory endorsements.
Clauses to look for in your own document
- Part C — Uninsured Motorists Coverage
- Underinsured Motorist endorsement
- Limit of Liability
- State Amendatory endorsement
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PoliSays explains document wording. It is not an insurer, broker, or law firm, and nothing here is advice.