Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage After a Motorcycle Accident in California

The Reality California Riders Face: Too Many Drivers Have Too Little Insurance

Ask any rider in California what they fear most on the road, and you’ll hear a few predictable answers:
Left-turn drivers. Distracted drivers. Drivers who don’t look before merging.

But here’s the danger most riders don’t think about until it’s too late:
Drivers who have no insurance — or nowhere near enough to cover what they’ve done.

And make no mistake: this problem is massive.
California consistently ranks among the top states for uninsured drivers. Even more troubling, the minimum insurance the state requires barely covers a fraction of what serious motorcycle injuries cost.

That means if you’re hit — or if your loved one is killed — the driver’s policy may be worth pennies compared to your medical bills, lost income, or the long-term consequences of a catastrophic injury.

So what protects riders when the at-fault driver can’t?
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM/UIM).

UM/UIM is the most important insurance a rider can carry — and the least understood.
At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we’ve handled countless cases where UM/UIM made the difference between financial ruin and a family finally getting justice.

Here’s what you need to know.

What Is Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage?

Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage applies when the at-fault driver has no insurance at all.

This includes:

  • Hit-and-run drivers

  • Drivers whose insurance lapsed

  • Drivers who were never insured (shockingly common)

  • Drivers using vehicles without permission or coverage

If a driver like this hits you, UM coverage steps into their shoes.
Your own policy pays for your injuries — as if the uninsured driver had the same liability limits you carry.

In motorcycle cases, that often means the difference between:

  • having access to medical care, lost income, and compensation, or

  • being left with nothing but bills and heartbreak.

What Is Underinsured Motorist (UIM) Coverage?

Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage applies when the at-fault driver has insurance, but not enough to cover your losses.

Example:

  • Driver’s policy limit: $15,000

  • Your medical bills alone: $250,000

  • Your UIM coverage: $250,000

After the driver’s $15k is paid, your UIM can cover the difference up to your policy limit.

Without UIM coverage, the other driver’s tiny policy may be all you ever get — even if you’ll be recovering for years.

For riders, UIM is essential. Motorcycle injuries are rarely minor. When bones break, when surgeries follow, when mobility changes forever — the minimum limits don’t even begin to scratch the surface.

UM/UIM Works for Wrongful Death Cases Too

If a loved one is killed on a motorcycle by an uninsured or underinsured driver, UM/UIM coverage can apply to wrongful death claims as well.

UM/UIM may help cover:

  • Funeral and burial expenses

  • Loss of financial support

  • Loss of companionship, love, care, and guidance

  • Emotional grief and suffering

Families often don’t realize they can pursue a wrongful death claim through their own policy when the at-fault driver doesn’t have enough insurance. We handle these claims regularly and walk families through every step.

Why UM/UIM Matters More for Motorcycle Riders Than Anyone Else

Riders almost always suffer the worst injuries in any crash.
Yet many drivers carry the lowest possible policy limits. Some carry none at all.

Consider this:

The old California minimum liability limit was $15,000 per injured person.
As of 2025, the new minimum is $30,000 — but even that doesn’t cover a single night in the hospital after a serious motorcycle crash.

Meanwhile, most motorcycle injury cases we handle involve:

  • Surgeries

  • Hospital stays

  • Physical therapy

  • Lost wages

  • Permanent impairments

  • PTSD

  • Long-term pain

Those medical bills alone can easily reach six or seven figures.

UM/UIM is the safety net that protects you from someone else’s bad choices.

How UM/UIM Claims Actually Work

Many riders think:
"UM/UIM is just another insurance claim. My company will treat me better than the other guy’s insurer."

We wish that were true.
In reality, when you file a UM/UIM claim, your own insurance company becomes your opponent.

They evaluate your claim just like any other insurer — meaning:

  • They’ll look for reasons to downplay your injuries

  • They may delay processing

  • They may push for low settlements

  • They may require arbitration

This shocks people.
They paid premiums for years — often decades — believing their insurer would take care of them.

That’s why it’s essential to treat UM/UIM claims with the same caution you’d use with any insurance claim. In serious cases, having a motorcycle lawyer makes all the difference.

Common UM/UIM Tricks Insurance Companies Use

1. Lowballing Your Own Claim

Your insurer may offer a fraction of what your case is worth, hoping you’ll accept it because they’re “your” company.

2. Demanding Endless Documentation

More forms. More records. More hoops.
It’s a stalling tactic.

3. Denying That Injuries Are Crash-Related

Insurers often argue your pain was “pre-existing.”

4. Claiming You Were Partially at Fault

Even in a UM case, your insurer may try to reduce what they owe using California’s comparative negligence laws.

5. Forcing Arbitration

Most UM/UIM policies require arbitration instead of jury trials.
We’ve handled many arbitrations — and insurers fight hard in those rooms.

Bottom line: these claims are not “easy.”
They require the same level of evidence, preparation, and advocacy as any injury case.

What UM/UIM Covers — And What It Doesn’t

UM/UIM Does Cover:

  • Medical expenses

  • Future medical care

  • Lost wages

  • Loss of earning capacity

  • Pain and suffering

  • Property damage (in some policies)

  • Wrongful death damages

UM/UIM Does Not Cover:

  • Punitive damages

  • Damage to another person’s vehicle

  • Intentional acts

  • Claims beyond policy limits

This is another reason to push for higher UM/UIM limits.
Once the maximum is reached, that’s all you can recover — even if your injuries exceed that.

How Much UM/UIM Should a California Rider Have?

Here’s the truth:
For motorcycle riders, the minimum is never enough.

We recommend carrying UM/UIM equal to your liability limits.
For many riders, that means limits of:

  • $100,000

  • $250,000

  • $500,000

  • or $1,000,000+

If you can afford a few extra dollars per month, increasing UM/UIM coverage is the smartest financial decision any rider can make. It protects not just you — but your family.

What If You Don’t Know Your UM/UIM Limits?

Call your insurance agent and ask for a full policy declarations page.

Look for:

  • UM (Uninsured Motorist)

  • UIM (Underinsured Motorist)

  • UM/UIM Bodily Injury (BI)

  • UM/UIM Property Damage (PD)

Many riders discover they declined coverage without realizing it — often because agents assumed they wouldn’t want it.

If that’s you, change your policy immediately. You can’t add UM/UIM retroactively after a crash — you must have it before the accident.

How a Motorcycle Lawyer Helps With UM/UIM Claims

At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we handle UM/UIM cases the same way we handle claims against at-fault drivers — because the stakes are just as high.

We:

  • Collect and preserve all evidence

  • Build the case with experts (medical, accident reconstruction, economic)

  • Handle all communication with the insurer

  • Demand arbitration when necessary

  • Prove damages from top to bottom

  • Fight lowball offers

  • Ensure wrongful death benefits are fully pursued

We know how insurers think, because we deal with them every single day.
And we know how to beat them.

UM/UIM and Wrongful Death: What Families Need to Know

If a loved one was killed by an uninsured or underinsured driver, the family can pursue UM/UIM benefits under:

  • The rider’s motorcycle policy

  • The household auto policy

  • A family umbrella policy

  • Policies covering the bike’s owner if the rider was a permissive user

These cases are complex — but they’re often the only way families avoid financial collapse after a preventable tragedy.

We walk families through each step with compassion, clarity, and respect.

The Biggest Mistake Riders Make: Waiting Too Long

UM/UIM claims have deadlines — and they’re sometimes shorter than the deadlines for lawsuits against at-fault drivers.

If you wait too long to notify your insurer or file your UM/UIM arbitration demand, you could lose your right to recover at all.

Call a lawyer early, even if you aren’t sure you’ll need one.

Why Riders Across California Trust McCarthy Motorcycle Law

Because we’re built for this.
We’re built for riders, built for families, and built for the fights that matter most.

Riders choose us because:

  • You deal directly with attorney John McCarthy

  • We act fast to preserve evidence and protect your rights

  • We’ve recovered millions for injured riders and grieving families

  • We know California riding — its roads, risks, and realities

  • We treat clients like family, not case numbers

If you’re dealing with an uninsured or underinsured driver situation, you need a lawyer who understands both the law and the culture of riding.

That’s us.

Get a Free Case Evaluation — Before It’s Too Late

If you were hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver, or if you lost a loved one in a motorcycle crash, reach out now.

Our free case evaluations go straight to our inbox — not a call center — and we typically respond the same day.

We’ll explain your rights, review your insurance coverage, and tell you honestly whether we can help. If not, we’ll point you in the right direction.

Because your ride matters, your story matters — and your rights matter.