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Uninsured Motorist Coverage — New Jersey

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What Uninsured Motorist Coverage Protects

Uninsured motorist coverage pays for injuries and property damage when another driver hits you and has no insurance. New Jersey mandates this coverage on every auto insurance policy, so if you insure two or more vehicles in your household, every car already carries it. The coverage applies when the at-fault driver has zero insurance, when they flee the scene and cannot be identified, or when their carrier denies the claim and becomes insolvent.

The mandate exists because 14.1% of New Jersey motorists drive uninsured. That's roughly one in seven drivers on the road with no coverage to pay for damage they cause. When you're hit by an uninsured driver, your own uninsured motorist coverage steps in as if the other driver had liability insurance. It covers medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and in some cases vehicle damage, up to the limits you selected.

“One in seven New Jersey drivers carries no insurance, making uninsured motorist coverage your financial backstop when they cause a crash.”

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14.1%

New Jersey Uninsured Motorist Rate

One in seven drivers on New Jersey roads carries no insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage is your financial protection when one of them causes a crash.

Insurance Research Council, 2023

How Limits Work Across Multiple Vehicles

New Jersey requires minimum liability limits of $35,000 per person and $70,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. Your uninsured motorist coverage typically mirrors those liability limits unless you purchase higher amounts. When you insure multiple vehicles on one policy, the per-accident limit applies once per crash, not once per vehicle.

If three cars sit on your household policy and all three are involved in the same crash with an uninsured driver, the $70,000 per-accident limit covers all occupants across all three vehicles combined. The per-person limit of $35,000 still applies to each injured person, but the total payout cannot exceed $70,000 for that single accident. This matters when multiple family members are injured in the same collision.

Households that split their vehicles across separate policies—one spouse's car on one policy, the other spouse's car on another—effectively double their per-accident limits because each policy responds independently. Most households consolidate vehicles onto one policy for the multi-car discount, but the limit structure is a tradeoff worth understanding.

The per-accident limit applies once per crash, not once per vehicle. Three cars on one policy share one $70,000 cap if all three are hit by the same uninsured driver.

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Underinsured Motorist Coverage Fills the Gap

Underinsured motorist coverage is a companion product that pays when the at-fault driver has insurance but not enough to cover your injuries. New Jersey requires carriers to offer underinsured motorist coverage, but you can reject it in writing.

Households insuring multiple vehicles face the same limit-stacking rules with underinsured motorist coverage. The per-accident cap applies once per crash across all vehicles on the policy. The premium difference between minimum limits and higher limits is typically modest, and the gap matters most in crashes involving serious injuries or multiple family members.

When comparing carriers for your household's vehicles, confirm that uninsured and underinsured motorist limits match or exceed your liability limits. Some carriers automatically mirror them; others allow you to select lower uninsured motorist limits to reduce premium.

$35,000 / $70,000

New Jersey Minimum Bodily Injury Limits

State law requires $35,000 per person and $70,000 per accident. Uninsured motorist coverage typically mirrors these minimums unless you purchase higher limits.

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission

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How Claims Work When You're Hit

When an uninsured driver hits you, file a claim with your own carrier under your uninsured motorist coverage. You'll provide the police report, the other driver's information if available, and documentation of your injuries and vehicle damage. Your carrier investigates to confirm the other driver was at-fault and uninsured. If the other driver fled the scene, the police report and witness statements become critical evidence.

New Jersey is a no-fault state, which means your Personal Injury Protection coverage pays your medical bills first regardless of who caused the crash. Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage pays for injuries that exceed your PIP limits or for damages PIP doesn't cover, such as pain and suffering. The two coverages work in sequence: PIP pays first up to its limit, then uninsured motorist coverage pays additional amounts up to its limit. This layering matters when injuries are severe and medical costs climb past the PIP threshold.

Compare Carriers That Write Your Household

Seventeen carriers write auto insurance in New Jersey for households insuring multiple vehicles. Uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory, but limit options, underinsured motorist availability, and the ease of stacking limits across vehicles vary by carrier. New Jersey's insurance requirements page lists the full carrier roster and explains how mandatory coverages interact with optional ones. When you're structuring coverage for two or more cars, confirm that your uninsured and underinsured motorist limits align with your liability limits and that the per-accident cap fits your household's exposure. Carriers that specialize in multi-vehicle policies often offer limit-matching tools and household-discount structures that make higher limits affordable.

What the Coverage Pays For

Uninsured motorist coverage divides into two components: bodily injury and property damage. New Jersey requires the bodily injury portion; property damage coverage is optional but widely carried.

Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage pays medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost income, and pain and suffering when an uninsured driver injures you or your passengers. It also covers you when you're hit as a pedestrian or cyclist by an uninsured vehicle. The coverage applies per person up to your per-person limit, and per accident up to your per-accident limit. If your injuries exceed those limits, you pay the difference out of pocket or pursue the at-fault driver personally, which is often unproductive because uninsured drivers rarely have assets to collect against.

Uninsured motorist property damage coverage pays to repair or replace your vehicle when an uninsured driver damages it. This component is optional in New Jersey, and many households skip it because collision coverage already pays for vehicle damage regardless of fault. If you carry collision, uninsured motorist property damage becomes redundant. If you drop collision to lower premiums on an older car, uninsured motorist property damage becomes your only protection against an uninsured driver's damage to that vehicle. The property damage component typically carries a separate deductible.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does New Jersey require uninsured motorist coverage?

Yes. New Jersey mandates uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage on every auto insurance policy. Carriers must offer underinsured motorist coverage, but you can reject it in writing. Uninsured motorist property damage coverage is optional.

What happens if an uninsured driver hits my parked car in New Jersey?

If you carry uninsured motorist property damage coverage, it pays to repair your parked car after you pay the deductible. If you carry collision coverage instead, collision pays regardless of fault. If you carry neither, you pay out of pocket or pursue the uninsured driver personally.

Can I stack uninsured motorist coverage across multiple vehicles in New Jersey?

New Jersey does not allow stacking uninsured motorist limits across vehicles on the same policy. The per-accident limit applies once per crash. Households that split vehicles across separate policies have independent limits per policy, but most consolidate for the multi-car discount.

How much uninsured motorist coverage should I carry for a multi-car household?

Match or exceed your liability limits. Higher limits protect your household when the at-fault driver has no insurance or insufficient coverage, and the premium difference is typically modest.

Does uninsured motorist coverage pay if the other driver's insurance company goes bankrupt?

Yes. Uninsured motorist coverage applies when the at-fault driver's carrier becomes insolvent and cannot pay claims. It also covers hit-and-run crashes where the driver cannot be identified.