Updated June 2026
What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured Motorist Coverage steps in when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance or flees the scene. It pays your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and in some states vehicle damage up to your policy limits. Louisiana requires carriers to offer UM coverage matching your liability limits, and you must sign a rejection form to decline it. The coverage applies to you, your passengers, and family members listed on your policy.
- You're stopped at a red light on I-10 in Baton Rouge when a driver rear-ends you and flees without stopping. You have $8,500 in medical bills and $4,200 in vehicle damage. Your UM coverage pays the full $12,700 up to your policy limits because Louisiana UM includes property damage. Without UM coverage, you pay everything out of pocket unless police locate the driver.
- A driver runs a stop sign in New Orleans and T-bones your car. The other driver has no insurance. You have $18,000 in medical expenses and your passenger has $6,000. Your $25,000 per person UM coverage pays your $18,000 and your passenger's $6,000. If you had rejected UM coverage at policy purchase, you would sue the uninsured driver personally, but most uninsured drivers lack assets to recover from.
- You swerve to avoid an uninsured driver and hit a guardrail. The other driver leaves the scene. UM coverage does not apply because there was no contact between vehicles. You need collision coverage to pay for your vehicle damage in single-vehicle crashes, even if another driver caused you to swerve.
Who Needs Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Drivers reinstating a suspended license in Louisiana should keep UM coverage because the 13% uninsured driver rate means one in eight vehicles on the road carries no insurance. If you're required to carry SR-22 insurance to satisfy reinstatement conditions, rejecting UM coverage saves $10 to $20 monthly but leaves you financially exposed if an uninsured driver causes a crash during your three-year SR-22 filing period. Drivers without collision coverage especially need UM property damage because it's the only way to recover vehicle repair costs if an uninsured driver hits you.
Compare your UM premium cost to your health insurance deductible and vehicle replacement cost. If your health deductible is $5,000 and UM coverage costs $180 annually, UM pays for itself if you're hit by an uninsured driver once every 28 years. If you're driving on SR-22 insurance and cannot afford to replace your vehicle or pay medical bills out of pocket, keep UM coverage even if it raises your monthly premium.
How Much Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
Uninsured Motorist Coverage typically adds $8 to $22 per month to a Louisiana auto policy, or $96 to $264 annually, depending on your liability limits and driving history.
- Your UM coverage limits must match your liability limits in Louisiana unless you request lower limits in writing, so higher liability limits directly increase UM cost.
- Drivers with suspended licenses or SR-22 filings pay 40% to 65% more for UM coverage because carriers price the entire policy as high-risk.
- Parish uninsured driver rates affect pricing—Orleans Parish has a 16% uninsured rate compared to 11% in East Baton Rouge, raising UM premiums in New Orleans.
- Stacking UM coverage across multiple vehicles on one policy increases cost but allows you to combine limits if one vehicle is hit by an uninsured driver.
- Rejecting UM coverage saves the premium cost but exposes you to full financial responsibility if hit by one of Louisiana's 380,000 uninsured drivers.