Stacking of Limits

Learn About Stacking Benefits on Your Pennsylvania Car Insurance

Among the many options you're given when selecting a car insurance policy, you may be curious about what the term "stacking" means. It's a fairly simple idea that involves multiplying your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage to offer greater protection to you and your loved ones after an accident.

Essentially, stacking your benefits will multiply the limits of your UM/UIM coverage by the number of vehicles you have on the same policy. So, if you have two cars insured for $100,000/$300,000 of Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage, stacking will multiply these limits by the two cars on your policy.

With stacking, you will have $200,000/$600,000 available to you in the event of an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. It's also important to note that adding UM/UIM is extremely inexpensive to add to your policy.

Stacking Can Save You Thousands

While many people understand the concept of stacking, they often fail to see how it could benefit them in the event of an accident. We often hear people ask, "Why do I need extra coverage?"

While you may have a good policy, what if the other driver doesn't have insurance? Or, in a much more common scenario, they have insurance, but it only covers the bare minimum required by law. This is why UM/UIM coverage and stacking are so important.

An Example of Stacking Benefits

Let's say you're in an accident. Your medical bills are $200,000 and the other driver has Pennsylvania's minimum requirement for Bodily Injury Liability – $15,000. Stacking would affect your limits as follows:

• Stacked – 2 cars with UM/UIM is $200,000 + the other driver's $15,000 of state required coverage = $215,000 for your injuries and medical expenses.
• Not Stacked – $100,000 for UM/UIM + the other driver's $15,000 = $115,000
• No UM/UIM – $0 for UM/UIM + the other driver's $15,000 = $15,000 for injuries and medical expenses

In this scenario, the difference between stacking your UM/UIM coverage and not is losing out on $100,000 in coverage for your medical expenses.

It's easy to see why Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important, and why stacking them can make the difference, especially if your health insurance doesn't cover certain procedures. And remember, you can change your insurance policy any time, but make sure you do it before you need it.

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