Stacked vs. Single-Policy UM Coverage in Georgia

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Stacking adds the uninsured motorist limits of several policies or vehicles together. Georgia's statute does not mention it, so the answer turns on whether you are an insured under each policy and on what each policy says.

What stacking means

Many households have more than one auto policy or more than one vehicle with UM. Stacking adds those limits after one injury, so $100,000 and $50,000 become $150,000. Single-policy coverage pays only the policy that applies. It matters only when your losses are larger than a single limit and larger than the at-fault driver's coverage.

What the statute says

O.C.G.A. 33-7-11(b)(1)(B) defines an "insured" as the named insured and, while resident of the same household, the spouse and relatives of either, whether in a motor vehicle or otherwise; a person who uses the insured vehicle with consent; a guest in that vehicle; and the personal representatives of such persons. Nothing in the section says UM limits add up or bar adding up.

A court decision on the limit of stacking

In a 2009 decision reported by Insurance Journal, the Georgia Supreme Court refused to let an injured driver stack the UM coverage of two other policies on vehicles that were not involved in the collision, because the named insured on all three policies was his employer's company, not him. That shows the question depends on who the "named insured" is and what the policies say. We did not read the opinion, so treat the report as a lead.

A worked example

Suppose you are an insured under two policies with $100,000 and $50,000 of UM and an uninsured driver causes $250,000 of losses. If both policies count, the UM can reach $150,000. If only the highest policy counts, it is $100,000. Try your own numbers in the Georgia UM/UIM stacking calculator, which shows both.

What to check

Look at each declarations page for the named insured and the UM limit, and ask your insurer, in writing, which policies it says apply. See what the statute says and leaves open and how add-on UM works.

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