Every day in Kentucky, responsible drivers carry auto insurance, follow traffic laws, and assume everyone else on the road is doing the same. Unfortunately, that assumption can prove devastatingly wrong. According to the Insurance Information Institute, approximately 13% of drivers nationwide operate vehicles without insurance coverage, and many more carry only the bare minimum required by law. When an uninsured or underinsured driver causes an accident, victims often discover too late that their medical bills, lost wages, and other damages far exceed what they can recover.
This is where Uninsured Motorist (UM) and Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage becomes not just important, but essential.
What UM/UIM Coverage Actually Protects
Uninsured Motorist coverage protects you when you’re hit by a driver who has no insurance at all. This includes hit-and-run accidents where the at-fault driver flees the scene and is never identified. Underinsured Motorist coverage kicks in when the at-fault driver has insurance, but their policy limits are too low to cover your damages.
Consider this scenario: You’re seriously injured in a crash caused by another driver. Your medical bills total $150,000, you’ve lost $30,000 in wages, and you’re facing months of rehabilitation. The at-fault driver carries Kentucky’s minimum bodily injury coverage of just $25,000 per person. Without UIM coverage on your own policy, you’d be left with over $150,000 in uncovered expenses—even though the accident wasn’t your fault.
Why Kentucky’s Minimum Coverage Falls Short
Kentucky requires drivers to carry only $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage, plus $25,000 in property damage liability and $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP). While Kentucky’s PIP coverage helps pay for your immediate medical expenses and lost wages regardless of fault, the $10,000 limit is quickly exhausted in serious accidents.
When you combine PIP with the at-fault driver’s minimum bodily injury coverage, you’re still looking at only $35,000 in total coverage—an amount that seems substantial until you face the reality of modern medical costs. A single night in the hospital can cost thousands of dollars. Surgery, diagnostic imaging, specialists, physical therapy, and medications quickly add up. If your injuries prevent you from working for months—or permanently affect your earning capacity—the financial impact can be catastrophic.
Many drivers mistakenly believe that carrying “full coverage” protects them in any situation. However, “full coverage” typically refers only to comprehensive and collision coverage for your vehicle, not UM/UIM protection for your injuries. You must specifically add UM/UIM coverage to your policy, and many people skip it to save a few dollars on premiums—a decision that can prove financially devastating.
The Real Cost of Going Without
The consequences of lacking UM/UIM coverage extend far beyond immediate medical bills. Serious injuries often require ongoing care: physical therapy sessions that stretch for months or years, follow-up surgeries, prescription medications, assistive devices, and home modifications. You may need to hire help for tasks you can no longer perform yourself. If your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous job, you face lost income not just during recovery, but potentially for the rest of your working life.
Without UM/UIM coverage, your options for recovering these costs are limited and often futile. You can sue the at-fault driver personally, but if they couldn’t afford adequate insurance, they likely lack assets to pay a judgment. You could be left paying out of pocket while the person who caused your injuries faces no real financial consequences.
Hit-and-Run Protection You Need
Hit-and-run accidents present an especially frustrating situation. The driver who caused your injuries has disappeared, leaving you with damages and no one to hold accountable. In these cases, your UM coverage treats the phantom driver as uninsured, allowing you to file a claim against your own policy. Without this coverage, you’d have no avenue for compensation at all, despite being a completely innocent victim.
How Much Coverage Do You Actually Need?
While any UM/UIM coverage is better than none, the minimum available may still leave you underprotected. Insurance agents often recommend carrying UM/UIM limits that match your liability limits. If you carry $100,000/$300,000 in liability coverage, you should carry the same in UM/UIM. Given the relatively low cost of this coverage compared to the protection it provides, choosing higher limits makes financial sense.
The additional premium for UM/UIM coverage is typically modest—often just a few hundred dollars per year—especially compared to the hundreds of thousands in uncovered medical expenses and lost wages you might face without it. It’s one of the most cost-effective forms of financial protection you can buy.
Beyond Basic Coverage: Stacking Options
Kentucky law allows for “stacking” of UM/UIM coverage when you insure multiple vehicles on the same policy. This means if you have two cars with $50,000 in UM coverage each, you may be able to combine (or “stack”) them for up to $100,000 in total coverage. However, insurance companies often require you to explicitly reject stacking in writing, and many policyholders don’t realize they’ve waived this valuable protection. Reviewing your policy with an experienced attorney can reveal whether you have stacking coverage and how it applies to your situation.
When Insurance Companies Push Back
Even when you’ve been responsible enough to carry UM/UIM coverage, insurance companies don’t always make it easy to collect. They may dispute the extent of your injuries, argue that you were partially at fault, or claim your damages aren’t covered. They might offer quick, lowball settlements, hoping you’ll accept less than you deserve because you’re overwhelmed by medical bills and lost income. These tactics work because most accident victims don’t understand their rights or the true value of their claim.
Get the Legal Help You Deserve
If you’ve been hit by someone who doesn’t have car insurance—or whose insurance is inadequate to cover your damages—you need an advocate who knows how to navigate the complexities of UM/UIM claims. At Noakes Law Group, our experienced car accident attorneys understand Kentucky insurance law inside and out. We know the tactics insurance companies use to minimize payouts, and we know how to fight back.
We’ll review your policy to identify all available coverage, including UM/UIM protection you may not even realize you have. We’ll handle all communications with insurance adjusters, gather evidence to support your claim, and calculate the full value of your damages—not just your current medical bills, but future care needs, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering. If the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation, we’re prepared to take your case to court.
Don’t let an uninsured or underinsured driver’s mistake destroy your financial future. Contact Noakes Law Group today for a free consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Let us fight for the full and fair compensation you deserve.