Uninsured Motorists Coverage protects you, your family members who reside with you, and the occupants of your vehicle, for injuries as the result of negligent actions by an uninsured vehicle or hit-and-run motorist for accidents occurring in Buffalo or anywhere else in New York State.

A claim may be filed with your auto insurance company if anyone in your vehicle is injured by the driver of an uninsured vehicle or a hit-and-run motorist, or if you or a member of your family are injured while in an uninsured vehicle, or injured as a pedestrian by an uninsured or hit-and-run motorist. If you do not own a car, but a relative in your household does, you may be covered under that policy.

If no other coverage is available when injured as a pedestrian by an uninsured vehicle or hit-and-run driver or as an occupant of an uninsured vehicle in New York State, you may still be eligible for uninsured motorist protection from the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC).

You should purchase SUM (Supplementary Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists) coverage to protect against out-of-state accidents, or accidents involving another motor vehicle whose owner or operator is insured for third-party bodily injury, but only at relatively low liability limits.  SUM coverage can also be purchased in amounts up to the bodily injury liability limits of an insured’s own policy.

An insurer must offer SUM limits of $250,000 per person per accident and $500,000 per accident ($250,000/$500,000) if a person has bodily injury liability limits of that amount or higher. Insurers may offer higher SUM limits.