Reviewed by Tom Moore, Agency Partner, CA Agency Insurance License 6003355
Last reviewed: 9/30/2026
Key takeaway: Uninsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills and repair costs when the driver who hits you carries no insurance at all. Underinsured motorist coverage picks up what's left when their policy isn't big enough to cover what you're actually owed. Washington requires every insurer to offer both with your auto policy, but you can reject them in writing. And Washington's uninsured-driver rate just posted the biggest increase of any state in the country.
Washington had the largest increase in uninsured drivers of any state in the country between 2020 and 2023, according to the Insurance Research Council. Not the largest percentage. The largest jump.
I see the fallout from that trend at renewal time more than I'd like. Someone declined this coverage years ago to shave a few dollars off their monthly bill, forgot they'd ever signed anything, and it's been quietly missing from their policy every year since. Nobody re-asks at renewal. The form just carries forward, exactly as written the first time. Then a serious accident happens, and the gap becomes real money out of their own pocket instead of a line item they never noticed.
This is the coverage most people can least afford to skip, in the state where skipping it costs the most.
Outline
What Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Actually Pays For
Both coverages live on your own policy, not the other driver's. That's the part people miss. It means your own insurer pays you directly, instead of you waiting on someone else's company to admit fault and cut a check.
Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage
UM steps in when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance at all, or when a hit-and-run driver is never identified. Washington treats "phantom vehicle" accidents the same way: a car swerves into your lane, forces you off the road, and leaves without ever touching your vehicle. Report it to police within 72 hours if you want to file a claim on it. Property damage claims under this coverage can carry a deductible, up to $300 for a hit-and-run or phantom vehicle, under state law.
Underinsured Motorist (UIM) Coverage
UIM covers the gap when the other driver has insurance, just not enough of it. Washington's minimum liability limit is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. Say a serious injury claim runs $80,000 and the at-fault driver is carrying exactly that state minimum. Your UIM would need to cover the remaining $55,000 to make you whole, up to your own policy's limit.
Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Required in Washington?
No. Insurers have to offer it. You don't have to keep it.
Washington law requires every auto insurer to offer UM and UIM coverage with every liability policy they write. But you, or your spouse if you're both named on the policy, can reject it in writing. Once you do, that rejection carries forward through every renewal after it, automatically, unless you specifically ask in writing to add the coverage back.
That's the part almost nobody remembers. You don't get asked again next year. You don't get a reminder at renewal. The rejection you signed once, maybe under a different agent, maybe on a policy you don't even have anymore after switching carriers, just keeps applying.
Washington regulators require a specific warning on that rejection form. It has to state, in bold text above the signature line, that declining the coverage exposes you to the risk of being underinsured for injuries in a crash with an underinsured driver. Most people sign past it without reading it.
Why Washington Drivers Are More Exposed Than Most
Washington ranked 12th highest nationally for uninsured drivers in 2022, at 16.5 percent, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Zoom out to the full 2020 to 2023 window, and Washington had the largest increase in its uninsured driver rate of any state in the country, according to the Insurance Research Council's most recent study.
Meanwhile, the state's minimum liability requirement hasn't moved. Every driver on the road is required to carry at least $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person and $50,000 per accident. That's the same minimum Washington has required for years, while medical costs and repair bills have not stood still.
Put those two facts together and you get a state full of drivers who are either uninsured outright or carrying just enough insurance to be legally compliant and financially inadequate. Both scenarios point back to the same fix: your own UM and UIM coverage.
I get calls after the fact from people whose $25,000 in underinsured motorist coverage didn't come close to touching a surgery and three months of missed work. It's the most common gap I see, especially with anyone commuting 195 to Pullman, I-90 east toward Coeur d'Alene, or running Division during a Spokane ice storm.
The Renewal Nobody Rechecks
Most declarations pages list UM/UIM in a single line, easy to miss between liability and collision. If that line says "rejected" or shows a dollar amount lower than your liability limits, that's the gap sitting on your policy right now, unnoticed, possibly for years.
Pull your current declarations page and look for it specifically. Don't assume that because you carry good liability limits, your UM/UIM matches. Washington allows insurers to offer UIM at an amount lower than your liability coverage if you request it, and plenty of policies were quoted that way from the start, not rejected outright, just underfunded.
If you don't have your declarations page handy, a phone call to your agent takes five minutes. Ask directly: what are my UM and UIM limits, and do they match my liability limits? If the answer is "let me check" or silence, you have your answer already. A good agent should know this the same way they'd know your deductible, off the top of their head.
How Much Uninsured Motorist Coverage Do You Actually Need?
The simplest rule: match your UM and UIM limits to your liability limits, at minimum. If you carry $100,000/$300,000 in liability because you have assets worth protecting, carrying only $25,000/$50,000 in UM/UIM means you're better protected against a lawsuit you might cause than against an injury someone else causes you.
Some carriers cap how high you can go on UM/UIM regardless of your liability limits, so higher isn't always available just by asking. Ask your agent for the actual maximum your specific carrier offers, not just what's technically allowed under state law.
Families with teen drivers, anyone commuting on rural highways, and anyone without savings to absorb a six-figure gap all have more to lose from underinsuring this coverage than from paying the few extra dollars a month it usually costs.
What to Do If You're Hit by an Uninsured or Underinsured Driver in Spokane
Call the police first, even for a minor crash, and especially for a hit-and-run or phantom vehicle. Washington requires that report within 72 hours if you plan to file a UM claim on it later.
Get names, plates, and insurance information from every driver involved, and photograph everything at the scene before vehicles move, if it's safe to do so. If the other driver has no insurance or can't produce proof of it, say so explicitly in your police report. That single sentence becomes the backbone of your claim later.
Then call your own insurer to open a UM or UIM claim, not just a standard collision claim. Your collision coverage can pay for your car, but only UM/UIM addresses medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering caused by a driver with no insurance or not enough of it. The two claims run separately, and filing the wrong one first can slow down the right one.
None of this takes guessing. Pull up your declarations page, or send it our way, and we'll tell you straight what your UM and UIM limits actually are, whether they match your liability coverage, and what it costs to fix the gap if they don't. No pressure, no upsell. Just an honest read of what you're actually carrying. Get a quote or a policy review here at All Lines Insurance or call us directly at (509) 327-1658.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Washington?
No. Insurers must offer it with every policy, but you can reject it in writing. Once rejected, it stays off your policy at every renewal until you ask in writing to add it back.
What's the difference between uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage?
Uninsured motorist coverage applies when the at-fault driver has no insurance at all, including hit-and-run and phantom vehicle accidents. Underinsured motorist coverage applies when the at-fault driver has insurance, but not enough to cover your damages.
Does uninsured motorist coverage cover hit-and-run accidents in Washington?
Yes. Washington treats hit-and-run and phantom vehicle accidents the same as accidents caused by an uninsured driver, as long as you report the accident to police within 72 hours.
How much does uninsured motorist coverage cost in Washington?
It's one of the least expensive coverages on a typical policy, usually a few dollars a month. Exact pricing depends on your carrier, your limits, and your driving history, so ask your agent for the specific difference on your own policy.
Can I add uninsured motorist coverage back if I rejected it before?
Yes. Contact your insurer or agent and request it in writing. Coverage typically starts from the date you add it, not retroactively, so don't wait until after an accident to ask.
Does UM/UIM coverage apply if I'm a passenger or pedestrian, not driving?
Yes. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy can apply if you're hit as a pedestrian, cyclist, or while riding as a passenger in someone else's vehicle, not just while you're driving.
Do I still need underinsured motorist coverage if the other driver has insurance?
Often, yes. Washington's minimum liability limit is $25,000 per person, which a single serious injury claim can exceed quickly. Underinsured motorist coverage covers the difference between what they owe and what their policy actually pays.
Does rejecting uninsured motorist coverage affect future policies with the same insurer?
Yes. Once you reject it in writing, Washington law says that rejection carries forward into every renewal and supplemental policy with that insurer, unless you request the coverage back in writing.
