Rhode Island · Uninsured driver · Updated Oct 2026

Hit by an uninsured driver in Rhode Island: coverage, penalties and what to do

Your coverage, the penalties and how to claim your losses.

Short answer

Your uninsured motorist coverage pays for injuries caused by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver, at the same limits as your liability coverage unless you chose lower limits in writing. Uninsured motorist coverage for injuries must be included at the same limits as your bodily injury liability.

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
Required
Minimum liability
25/50/25
Insurance system
Fault (tort)

Uninsured motorist coverage in Rhode Island

Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)
Uninsured motorist coverage for injuries must be included at the same limits as your bodily injury liability. You can pick lower limits in writing, but not below the state minimum; only if you buy just the minimum coverage can you reduce it to zero, after signing an approved advisory notice. You can reject uninsured motorist property damage coverage in writing, and if you have collision coverage it isn't required unless you choose it (R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-7-2.1).
Liability minimum
25/50/25
Official text
Read the official text

Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

If the other driver has no insurance in Rhode Island

  • Your uninsured motorist coverage pays for injuries caused by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver, at the same limits as your liability coverage unless you chose lower limits in writing.
  • It also covers damage to your car unless you rejected that part in writing; if you have collision coverage, uninsured motorist property damage is optional (R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-7-2.1).

How fast an insurer must handle a claim in Rhode Island

  • Rhode Island regulation 230-RICR-20-40-2 sets these rules.
  • Insurers must acknowledge a claim in writing within 15 days and reply to other claim letters within 15 days.
  • In that first reply, they must tell you whether you have coverage for a comparable rental car.
  • On a claim under your own policy, they must accept or deny it within 21 days after proof of loss, or tell you within 21 days why they need more time, then write every 45 days.
  • They must pay undisputed amounts within 30 days after accepting liability.
  • If your claim is denied and you object, they must tell you in writing that the Division of Insurance can review it.
  • State law also makes it an unfair practice to fail to respond to a claim within 30 days unless you agree to more time (R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-9.1-4(a)(16)).

Claiming from the uninsured driver in Rhode Island

Small claims limit for car damage in Rhode Island: $5,000, but only for contract claims, claims about a retail sale or services, and claims on a negotiable instrument. A claim for car damage from a crash is not on that list, so it normally goes to the regular District Court civil calendar. Rhode Island small claims guide on Small Claims Map

Step by step if an uninsured driver hits you in Rhode Island

  1. Report the crash to the police. If anyone is hurt or killed, or you hit a car that someone is driving or sitting in, you must stop, give your name, address and registration number, show your license, help anyone hurt, and immediately tell the local or state police by the quickest means (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 31-26-1 to 31-26-3). Reporting a crash in Rhode Island and getting the police report
  2. Write down the other car's plate and get witness names.
  3. Claim under your uninsured motorist coverage; in Rhode Island it is required.
  4. If your coverage doesn't pay everything, sue the driver before the deadline: 10 years for property damage and 3 years for injury. Deadlines to sue in Rhode Island, with the calculator

Free help in Rhode Island

Questions about uninsured drivers in Rhode Island

Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Rhode Island?

Uninsured motorist coverage for injuries must be included at the same limits as your bodily injury liability. You can pick lower limits in writing, but not below the state minimum; only if you buy just the minimum coverage can you reduce it to zero, after signing an approved advisory notice. You can reject uninsured motorist property damage coverage in writing, and if you have collision coverage it isn't required unless you choose it (R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-7-2.1).

What can I do if an uninsured driver hits me in Rhode Island?

Your uninsured motorist coverage pays for injuries caused by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver, at the same limits as your liability coverage unless you chose lower limits in writing. It also covers damage to your car unless you rejected that part in writing; if you have collision coverage, uninsured motorist property damage is optional (R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-7-2.1).

What is the minimum car insurance in Rhode Island?

25/50/25

How long do I have to sue an uninsured driver in Rhode Island?

10 years for property damage and 3 years for injury.

How fast must an insurer handle a car insurance claim in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island regulation 230-RICR-20-40-2 sets these rules. Insurers must acknowledge a claim in writing within 15 days and reply to other claim letters within 15 days.

More for Rhode Island drivers

Nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.