Stacked vs. Unstacked UM/UIM Coverage in Arkansas

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Stacking adds the uninsured and underinsured motorist limits of several vehicles or policies together. In Arkansas, the Supreme Court enforces clear anti-stacking wording, so your policy language decides whether you can stack.

What stacking means

Many auto policies list a UM/UIM limit for each insured vehicle, and a family may own several policies. Stacking adds those limits together after one injury, so $100,000 on each of three vehicles becomes $300,000. Unstacked coverage pays only one limit. It matters only when your damages exceed what the at-fault driver's insurer paid and exceed a single limit.

Arkansas leaves it to the policy

No Arkansas statute that we read authorizes or forbids stacking. In Couch v. Farmers Insurance Co. (2008), the Arkansas Supreme Court enforced clear anti-stacking and other-insurance clauses and refused to let a claimant stack UIM benefits from three additional policies after the first policy had paid its $50,000. The Court rejected the argument that it was unfair for the insurer to collect several premiums but pay on one policy.

A worked Arkansas example

Suppose you carry $100,000 of UIM on each of three vehicles, your damages are $250,000, and the at-fault driver's insurer paid its $25,000 limit. The unpaid damages are $225,000. If your policies clearly prevent stacking, one $100,000 coverage applies. If they contained no clear anti-stacking wording and stacking were allowed, the ceiling would be $300,000, so you could reach the full $225,000. Run your own numbers in the Arkansas UM/UIM stacking calculator.

Which result applies to you

Read your declarations page and the UIM and "other insurance" sections for language limiting you to one coverage, and ask your insurer in writing how it counts your claim. See what the statutes and the Couch decision actually hold and how UM and UIM coverage work in Arkansas.

A limit on what this page can tell you

We did not find a verified Arkansas decision on stacking uninsured motorist coverage, or one that stacks UIM where the policy is silent. Treat the stacked number as an upper bound and have an attorney read the policy.

This is general information, not legal advice, and the state comparisons above are illustrative, not an exhaustive survey. Confirm how Arkansas's rules apply to your specific case with a licensed Arkansas attorney.