Personal Injury ~ Car Wreck ~ 18 Wheeler Crash ~ Motorcycle Accident

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage statute in Mississippi begins at Miss. Code Ann. § 83-11-101

Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage in Mississippi is an optional but very important add-on to your auto insurance policy that protects you when the at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance (or doesn’t have enough).

UM coverage typically pays for:

• Medical bills (past and future)

• Lost wages

• Pain and suffering

• In wrongful death cases, damages to surviving family members

• The at-fault driver has no insurance

• The driver is underinsured (their limits aren’t enough to cover your damages)

• It’s a hit-and-run and the driver can’t be identified

• Accept UM coverage

• Increase UM coverage (very common and often advisable)

• Reject UM coverage (must be done in writing)

UM coverage can apply even if:

• You’re a passenger in someone else’s car

• You’re a pedestrian hit by a vehicle

• Purpose: Protects you if you’re injured in an accident caused by a driver who has liability insurance, but not enough to cover your total damages.

• Applies to bodily injury, and sometimes property damage, depending on your policy.

• Not required by law, but insurers must offer it when you purchase a policy.

• You can reject UIM coverage in writing.

• Governed by Mississippi Code § 83-11-101 and related sections.

Covers more than just car accidents:

• Can apply if you're hit while walking, biking, or riding in someone else’s vehicle.

You’re injured in a crash. The other driver has minimum coverage:

• $25,000 liability limit, but
• Your injuries and losses total $100,000.

If you have $100,000 in UIM coverage, you can claim the $75,000 difference (after receiving $25,000 from the at-fault driver).

• Mississippi only requires $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident in liability coverage.

• Serious accidents can easily exceed those limits.

• UIM gives you critical financial protection—especially for medical costs and lost income.

In Mississippi, Uninsured Motorist coverage and Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage are optional but strongly recommended.