In California, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is designed to protect you when the at-fault driver can’t pay due to lack of coverage. The practical effect is simple: your own policy may be where the money comes from for medical bills, wage loss, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
But UM claims often turn into disputes over:
- whether the other driver was actually uninsured/underinsured under the policy,
- how fault is allocated,
- and whether the injuries are supported by medical records.
Because of that, the “right next step” after a crash matters—especially in the first days after you learn the other driver may not have coverage.


