GEICO uninsured motorist coverage – what to know?
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is a plan provided by insurance companies to cover damages done to your vehicle by an uninsured faulty driver. While this is not a compulsory insurance coverage plan, some states keep it mandatory. It is instrumental in some hit-and-run cases where getting a hold of the driver is difficult. GEICO is one of the many popular insurance companies that provide uninsured motorist coverage in your policy, if the state requires it.
Types of uninsured motorist coverage
GEICO offers two different types of UM coverage that you can choose to add to your standard policy. These are as follows:
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UMBI)
- Uninsured motorist property damage coverage (UMPD)
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UMBI)
If you are in an accident caused by another driver who does not have insurance, this coverage will help you get compensated if you are injured. Under typical circumstances, it covers medical expenses, funeral expenses, loss of income, or compensation for pain and suffering. If you do not have UMBI, you will be responsible for paying all the bills post the accident.
In case you have personal medical insurance, your medical bills can be supported by that. If you have medical payments or personal injury protection coverage from GEICO, your medical bills again would be taken care of once you file a claim. However, GEICO’s UMBI also pays you for pain and suffering.
Uninsured motorist property damage coverage (UMPD)
With this coverage, if your vehicle is damaged in an accident caused by an uninsured driver, the uninsured motorist property damage coverage will compensate you for your expenses. If you do not have GEICO uninsured motorist property damage coverage, you will have to pay for the expenses yourself, but you can challenge the at-fault driver in court for your claim settlement.
It is crucial to know whether your state policy makes it mandatory for you to have uninsured motorist coverage or an optional benefit that you can choose while buying your insurance coverage. If you have GEICO insurance coverage, you can simply log in to your account, check whether your standard policy is inclusive or exclusive of the uninsured motorist coverage and take a call on how you want to customize your policy.
