California Auto Insurance: Uninsured Motorist Property Damage

California auto insurance law offers drivers the opportunity to purchase protection against uninsured motorists with uninsured motorist property damage coverage. You automatically have uninsured motorist coverage for your bodily injuries with California auto insurance law, but not coverage for damage to your vehicle. Here are a few things that you should know about California auto insurance and uninsured motorist property damage coverage.

(1) Good news! If you have collision coverage with your vehicle, you have a $0 deductible according to California auto insurance laws and the limit of your repairs is the actual cash value of your car. If you do not have collision coverage but do have UMPD, your deductible is still $0, but the limit for repairs or replacement is $3,500.

(2) California auto insurance law requires that you make impact with the uninsured vehicle to qualify for uninsured motorist property damage, or UMPD, coverage. So if you are forced from the road by another vehicle, but never make impact with them, according to California auto insurance law you do not qualify for UMPD.

(3) It is imperative that you understand that most California auto insurance policies do not automatically include UMPD. You must inform your agent that you want the coverage and your agent will make it an “endorsement” to your coverage.

(4) Lastly, California auto insurance laws do not require that you have a police report to qualify for UMPD. However, you must either identify the other party or have their license plate number to qualify for California auto insurance UMPD.