Uninsured vs. Underinsured Motorist Coverage in Missouri

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Missouri requires uninsured motorist coverage in every policy but not underinsured coverage. It has no no-fault threshold for pain and suffering, and personal injury actions generally have 5 years.

Required and optional coverage

RSMo 379.203 requires UM in at least the minimum bodily injury limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident (303.190). Underinsured coverage is optional; if it is sold with limits below two times the minimum, it is construed as excess over the at-fault driver's liability coverage (379.204).

What counts as uninsured

A vehicle with no liability insurance, a hit-and-run vehicle with or without contact, and a vehicle whose liability insurer is insolvent within two years. Annotations also report a 1986 decision holding that UM includes a motorist who is underinsured by the statutory standards; we did not read it.

How UIM pays

For UIM with limits below two times the minimum, in excess of what the at-fault driver paid. For higher limits the statute is silent, so the calculator shows both readings. Your policy wording controls; ask your insurer in writing.

Fault and damages

Missouri applies pure comparative fault: your damages are reduced in proportion to your fault and your recovery is not barred. The statute we read on comparative fault, RSMo 537.765, covers products liability; the general rule comes from a Missouri Supreme Court decision that we did not read. There is no no-fault threshold for pain and suffering.

Deadlines and next steps

Personal injury actions generally must be brought within 5 years (RSMo 516.120(4)). Your policy may set shorter deadlines for a claim against your own insurer. Stacking is a separate question; see our statute post and the explainer, then use the Missouri UM/UIM stacking calculator.

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