Updated October 16, 2026.
If another driver has little or no insurance, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may deserve review. Do not assume it automatically pays the difference between your losses and the other driver’s limit. Eligibility, limits and policy requirements must be checked.
Locate the complete policy for the accident date
Gather the declarations page, policy wording, endorsements and relevant coverage selections or rejection documents. Identify the covered people and vehicles. A current renewal page may differ from the policy in effect when the collision happened.
The California Department of Insurance auto guide explains coverage categories. A declarations page is a useful summary, but it may not answer exclusions, insured-person status or other conditions.
Separate uninsured from underinsured questions
Identify what is known about the other driver’s coverage and how that information was confirmed. A driver’s statement that they have no insurance may need verification. An insurer’s coverage position and the driver’s responsibility are different issues.
For an underinsured claim, ask how the applicable limits, payments, offsets and procedural requirements interact. The previous article’s example treated a $170,000 gap as automatically payable. That result cannot be assumed without reviewing the actual coverage.
Check before settling with another party
Flag any proposed release, policy-limits offer or payment before signing. Ask whether another settlement or release could affect your own-policy claim and what steps must occur first.
Keep correspondence with each insurer separate. A claim number for vehicle repairs does not necessarily establish that a bodily-injury UM/UIM issue has been addressed.
Support the injury and loss evidence
Retain treatment records, bills, work-loss documents and relevant collision evidence. Describe prior conditions accurately. The existence of coverage does not establish the amount of damages or guarantee payment to the limit.
Requests from your insurer can involve policy cooperation duties. Ask about unclear statements or authorizations rather than ignoring them based on advice written for a different insurer relationship.
Review timing and net-payment questions
Ask which notice, contractual and legal deadlines apply. Do not assume ordinary negotiations or waiting for another carrier’s response extends them. Fees, expenses and reimbursement obligations may affect a net payment.
Contact Fairmont Law Firm for a free case review at (800) 324-7666. Intake assistance is available 24/7 in English and Spanish. Bring the full policy and any proposed release.
General information, not legal or insurance advice. Coverage depends on policy terms and applicable law.