Several of my customers have had claims involving unknown drivers this past week. In one case, someone rear-ended my customer at a stoplight.  When they agreed to move the cars off the road, as is the law, the other operator drove away without exchanging information.  In the second case, my customer came out of his friend’s house to discover a note on his car that read, ‘Sorry I hit your car.’ The message included a contact telephone number. No one has ever answered that phone.

Both customers were upset to discover they would have a deductible to pay.  No, the accident was not the fault of either driver. Why should they have to pay even one dime? Insurers generally pay this type of claim through the optional Uninsured Motorist Property Damage (UMPD) coverage. I include it on every policy written through my office, treating it as though it were mandatory. I sincerely hope your agent or company has included UMPD if you are not my customer.  This coverage pays for the claim when the person who hit your vehicle is unknown, underinsured, or has no insurance.

Suppose a hit-and-run or uninsured driver injures you. In that case, your Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury (UMBI) will automatically pay from the first dollar with no deductible. UMBI is a mandatory coverage that all active auto insurance policies provide in Oregon. If you are also uninsured when hit by an uninsured driver, you are on your own to fix your car. Try getting the other driver to pay you out of pocket. If injured, you must pay your medical bills or attempt to collect from the at-fault party directly.