Uninsured Motorist Benefits (usually abbreviated UM) pay you, as the insured, if you were injured as a result of the negligence of another driver who had no insurance, or if the driver who caused the accident fled the scene of the accident. Under this coverage, your insurance company pays you in just the same way the other driver’s insurance company would have paid you, if there was an insurance company. Like medical benefits, the insurance company in most states is not permitted to raise your rates, or refuse to renew coverage, merely because it paid UM benefits.

In Pennsylvania, UM coverage is optional. However, I strongly recommend that you maintain this coverage on your policy. First, there are a large percentage of drivers who do not maintain any insurance. Therefore, if you are involved in an accident with one of these driver’s, you will receive no compensation for your injuries unless you have UM coverage. Second, UM coverage is relatively inexpensive. If you believe you have waived this coverage, I strongly recommend that you contact your insurance company and request a quote on the amount it will cost you to maintain UM coverage in the same amount as your liability coverage.

Stacking is the ability to add together the coverages for UM benefits or UIM benefits if the insurance policy provides for coverage of more than one vehicle. For example, if you have two vehicles insured on your auto policy, and you maintain UM or UIM coverage of $25,000/$50,000, with stacking you would multiply your UM or UIM limits times two (the number of cars on the policy), so that your limits would be $50,000/$100,000. Stacking does not apply to medical payments or liability limits. In Pennsylvania stacking is optional. I strongly recommend that you maintain stacking on your policy. It is a relatively inexpensive way to increase your policy limits.