UM/UIM Coverage for Passengers in Illinois

Last Updated: October 28, 2026

A passenger can claim UM/UIM only when a policy defines that passenger as an insured, which is separate from whether limits can be added together. 215 ILCS 5/143a(1) sets a default rule against aggregating similar bodily-injury limits from more than one vehicle for one crash. Section 143a(3) allows a policy to provide more favorable coverage than the section requires. The declarations page, anti-stacking and other-insurance language, read with the full contract, still control recovery. Section 143a-2(1) includes uninsured coverage equal to the bodily-injury liability limits unless the named insured rejects the additional amount in writing, at the limits in 625 ILCS 5/7-203.

Passengers Have UM/UIM Rights Too

If you were a passenger, the first question is whether a policy defines you as an insured person. That insured-person question is separate from whether you can add limits from more than one policy. Section 143a(1) protects persons insured under the policy who are legally entitled to recover damages from the owner or operator of an uninsured or hit-and-run motor vehicle.

Section 143a(1) is the starting point for combining limits in one crash, but it is not the whole answer. The declarations page, any anti-stacking or other-insurance language, and section 143a(3) more favorable terms all matter.

A passenger can be hurt without having been the driver. Section 143a-2(4) measures underinsured coverage by its limit, less the amounts actually recovered on the underinsured vehicle.

Sources of UM/UIM Coverage for Passengers

As a passenger, you may be able to access UM/UIM coverage from several different policies:

The occupied vehicle’s policy. That policy covers a passenger only when it defines the passenger as an insured. Section 143a(1) bars adding that limit to a similar limit on another vehicle unless the policy provides more favorable coverage under section 143a(3).

Your own policy. It may cover you in someone else’s vehicle only when it defines you as an insured there. Section 143a(1) says the coverage does not apply while you occupy a vehicle owned by, or furnished for the regular use of, you, a resident spouse, or a resident relative, when that vehicle is not described in your policy and is not a newly acquired or replacement vehicle the policy covers.

A household policy. The same undescribed-vehicle exclusion applies, including the newly acquired or replacement vehicle exception when the policy covers that vehicle. The policy does not automatically cover a passenger in a resident relative’s car that the policy does not describe.

Section 7-203 sets minimum liability amounts of $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more people, and $20,000 for property damage, in one crash. Those figures are not a combined uninsured limit.

Which Policy Pays First?

Section 143a-2(5) allows a policy to cap recovery under more than one policy at the higher of the applicable limits. It does not make the occupied vehicle’s policy primary and another policy excess.

Each policy states any order of payment, including other-insurance or nonowned-auto clauses that may affect coordination. When the policy uses the section 143a-2(5) cap, recovery under more than one policy may not exceed the higher of the applicable limits. A full policy review is still required; the absence of a primary-excess rule in section 143a-2(5) does not by itself prove how your policies coordinate.

Rideshare Passengers and UM/UIM Coverage

625 ILCS 57/10(c)(2) requires the insurance maintained under subsection (c) to provide uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in the amount of $50,000 from the time a passenger enters the ride until the passenger exits. That mandatory UM/UIM protection is separate from the $1,000,000 automobile liability requirement in subsection (c)(1).

A rideshare policy still states whether a passenger is an insured under that contract, how trip status affects coverage, and what limit applies during a trip. Those terms must be read with the statute and the facts of the ride.

Protecting Your Rights as an Injured Passenger

After an accident, gather information from all parties involved, seek immediate medical attention, and report the accident to both the driver’s insurance company and your own. Do not give recorded statements or accept settlement offers without first speaking to an attorney.

At Parker & Parker, we help injured passengers identify every available source of UM/UIM coverage and pursue the full value of the claim. Contact us for a free consultation about your passenger injury claim.

Injured? Get a Free Case Review.

Parker & Parker reviews personal injury claims for people in Peoria and across Central Illinois. Call 309-673-0069 or contact us online for a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a passenger file a UM/UIM claim in Illinois?

Only when a policy defines the passenger as an insured. Eligibility and adding limits are different questions. Section 143a(1) sets a default bar against aggregating similar limits from more than one vehicle for one crash, but section 143a(3) allows more favorable policy language, and the declarations page and full contract still control recovery.

Which UM/UIM policy pays first for a passenger?

Section 143a-2(5) allows a policy to cap recovery under more than one policy at the higher of the applicable limits. It does not assign one policy as primary and another as excess. Other-insurance and nonowned-auto clauses in the full policy may still affect coordination.

Does UM/UIM coverage apply to Uber and Lyft passengers?

625 ILCS 57/10(c)(2) requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of $50,000 from passenger entry until exit for insurance maintained under subsection (c). A rideshare policy still states when that coverage applies and how it coordinates with other insurance.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, Peoria personal injury lawyer Robert Parker is ready to help you pursue damages supported by the evidence.

Need a lawyer? This article is part of our Peoria Car Accident Lawyer practice area. Call Parker & Parker at 309-673-0069 for a free consultation.