{"id":15784,"date":"2026-10-05T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T08:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/altrainsurance.com\/?p=15784"},"modified":"2026-10-04T20:26:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T20:26:59","slug":"how-does-uninsured-motorist-coverage-work-in-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altrainsurance.com\/es\/how-does-uninsured-motorist-coverage-work-in-california\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complete Guide to Uninsured Motorist Claims: What Coverage Really Pays"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uninsured motorist coverage can pay for expenses after an accident with someone who doesn\u2019t have insurance. However, the exact details of what\u2019s covered will depend on your policy, so it\u2019s important to understand how uninsured motorist claims work.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>When Can You Make an Uninsured Motorist Claim?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uninsured motorist coverage is specifically for accidents where you\u2019re hit by a motorist who doesn\u2019t have insurance. Though insurance is technically required for all drivers in the state of California, it\u2019s surprisingly common for accidents to involve uninsured motorists. Some common reasons the people around you might not have insurance include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They purposefully chose to drive without insurance<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their policies lapsed without them realizing it<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019re driving e-bikes or other vehicles that don\u2019t need insurance<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019re borrowing cars and using them in a way not approved by the insurers<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Do All Policies Include Uninsured Motorist Coverage?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">California requires all insurers to offer this coverage alongside their standard policies. You\u2019ll only skip getting uninsured motorist coverage if you choose to waive coverage when signing up for a policy. This means most motorists end up with some uninsured coverage, but some may choose to waive it for a discount. Read your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/altrainsurance.com\/auto-insurance-chula-vista\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chula Vista auto insurance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> policy carefully to see whether you have it or not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What Will Your Uninsured Motorist Coverage Pay?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uninsured motorist coverage kicks in when you\u2019re in an accident that was caused by a party without insurance. The standard coverage pays for medical bills and lost wages caused by any injuries you and your passengers face. Some policies may also include coverage for damage to your vehicle, but this has to be specified on the policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How Much Uninsured Motorist Coverage Should You Have?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any other type of motor vehicle coverage, uninsured motorist coverage comes in many levels. The general recommendation is to have coverage of around $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident. If you drive a lot or drive in high-risk areas, you might benefit from additional coverage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to know if you\u2019re covered in the event of an accident with an uninsured driver, consult your insurance provider. Drivers who are searching for reliable, affordable auto insurance should reach out to the experienced professionals at Altra Insurance Services. In addition to auto coverage, we offer a variety of insurance products, including homeowners, business, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/altrainsurance.com\/motorcycle-insurance-chula-vista\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">seguro de moto<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for Chula Vista residents and drivers throughout\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">San Diego County. Call one of our friendly agents today for a free quote.<\/span><\/p>\n<section class=\"custom-faq\">\n<h2><b>Frequently Asked Questions<\/b><\/h2>\n<details style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 4px; margin: 8px 0; padding: 10px; background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<summary style=\"display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #000;\"><b>Does uninsured motorist coverage pay for hit-and-runs?<\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"margin-left: 10px;\">+<\/span><\/summary>\n<p style=\"margin: 6px 0 0 0; line-height: 1.5;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, if the police cannot find the responsible party for your accident because they fled the scene, uninsured motorist coverage can help.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 4px; margin: 8px 0; padding: 10px; background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<summary style=\"display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #000;\"><b>How do you make an uninsured motorist claim?<\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"margin-left: 10px;\">+<\/span><\/summary>\n<p style=\"margin: 6px 0 0 0; line-height: 1.5;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact your insurance provider via phone, email, or their website to start the claims process. Your insurer can walk you through each step of submitting your claim.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 4px; margin: 8px 0; padding: 10px; background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<summary style=\"display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #000;\"><b>What happens if you don\u2019t have uninsured motorist coverage?<\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"margin-left: 10px;\">+<\/span><\/summary>\n<p style=\"margin: 6px 0 0 0; line-height: 1.5;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without this type of policy, you would need to sue the other motorist in order to get compensation. However, this only works in cases where you know who hit you.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 4px; margin: 8px 0; padding: 10px; background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<summary style=\"display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #000;\"><b>Should your uninsured motorist coverage be lower or higher than your normal policy?<\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"margin-left: 10px;\">+<\/span><\/summary>\n<p style=\"margin: 6px 0 0 0; line-height: 1.5;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most people choose to get uninsured motorist coverage that offers roughly the same amount of coverage as the rest of their policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Uninsured motorist coverage can pay for expenses after an accident with someone who doesn\u2019t have insurance. However, the exact details of what\u2019s covered will depend on your policy, so it\u2019s important to understand how uninsured motorist claims work. When Can You Make an Uninsured Motorist Claim? Uninsured motorist coverage is specifically for accidents where you\u2019re &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/altrainsurance.com\/es\/how-does-uninsured-motorist-coverage-work-in-california\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;The Complete Guide to Uninsured Motorist Claims: What Coverage Really Pays&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-auto-insurance"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Does Uninsured Motorist Insurance Cover in 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