Is Uninsured Motorist Required in Washington?

Yes, Uninsured Motorist protects you if you are hit by someone without insurance. You may think you don’t need it because the state requires everyone to have insurance but according to the Insurance Information Institute, 16 percent of Washington drivers are driving uninsured. And irresponsible drivers, like those without insurance, are much more likely to cause an accident than responsible drivers.

Furthermore, Washington only requires drivers to carry $25,000 liability to cover someone they may hurt and $10,000 liability to cover the car they hit. These are the underinsured motorists (UIM). In a serious accident hospital bills will probably cost you more than $25,000. If your car is totaled, would it cost more than $10,000 for you to replace it? So, even if the other driver has insurance, they probably don’t have enough.

Without UM/UIM you will have to cover the bills yourself. No lawyer will take your case to sue someone who has no assets to go after. It is not worth their time or yours. If the uninsured driver doesn’t have much in the way of assets, they can file bankruptcy to avoid your judgment.

Why spend all this money on liability insurance to cover the other guy and not protect yourself and your family while you are at it. Dollar for Dollar, UM/UIM is the best insurance deal you can get. Don’t make a foolish mistake and reject UM/UIM. The person you hurt will be yourself.