Uninsured Motorist Coverage — Iowa
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills and vehicle damage when you're hit by a driver who has no insurance or too little insurance to cover your losses.
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What Is Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured motorist coverage has two parts: bodily injury and property damage. Bodily injury pays your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering when an uninsured or underinsured driver causes a crash. Property damage pays to repair or replace your vehicle when the at-fault driver has no insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage kicks in when the other driver's liability limits are too low to cover your full claim — you file against their policy first, then your underinsured coverage pays the difference up to your policy limit.
Who Needs Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
You should carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage if you can't afford to pay your own medical bills and vehicle repairs after a crash caused by someone else. If you finance or lease your vehicle, your lender may require uninsured motorist property damage coverage to protect their collateral.
Compare the annual premium to your out-of-pocket risk. Multiply Iowa's 12.5 percent uninsured rate by your estimated crash risk, then estimate your potential loss if hit by an uninsured driver with a serious injury or totaled vehicle. If the premium is less than 10 percent of that potential loss, the coverage is typically worth carrying.
How Much Does Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
- Your selected coverage limits — higher limits cost more, but Iowa drivers often choose limits matching their liability coverage to avoid gaps.
- Whether you add stacked coverage, which combines limits across multiple vehicles on the same policy and typically increases premiums by 15 to 30 percent.
- Your county's uninsured driver rate — Polk and Linn counties have lower uninsured rates than rural counties, which can reduce premiums slightly.
- Your claims history — prior uninsured motorist claims can increase your rate even though you weren't at fault, because carriers view you as higher risk for future claims.
- Whether you bundle bodily injury and property damage coverage or select only one — most Iowa carriers discount bundled coverage by 5 to 10 percent.
