Home » Blog » Does My Own Auto Insurance Cover Me if I’m Hit While Walking or Biking in California?
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Last Modified on Oct 18, 2026
In many cases, yes. Your own auto insurance may cover you if you’re hit while walking or biking in California, through coverage you may not have thought to check. A pedestrian and bicycle accident attorney at Bentley & More LLP can review your policy and your crash facts to tell you what applies.
Key Takeaways
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy can pay you even when you weren’t in a car.
- Coverage can extend to resident relatives on the same policy, not just the named policyholder.
- A strict filing deadline applies, and it runs quietly while you’re still recovering.
How Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Steps In?
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage protects you and family members you live with when the at-fault driver carries no liability insurance. It covers anyone inside, getting into, or stepping out of the insured vehicle, as well as their surviving family members if a fatal crash occurs. It also covers you and your family members while you are walking or biking.
Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap when the at-fault driver has insurance but not enough. As of January 2025, California’s minimum liability limits are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, but this is often insufficient after a serious crash. If you carry UIM, your insurer may pay once the other driver’s policy has paid its full limit. It pays up to your UIM limit, minus what the other driver’s insurer paid you.
What Happens When the Driver Never Stops?
Hit-and-run crashes leave pedestrians and cyclists with no driver to pursue. California law treats a fleeing driver as uninsured for UM purposes, provided there was physical contact between the vehicle and you. Reporting the crash and documenting contact are critical, since your insurer will want proof before paying.
Who Can Use This Coverage?
Coverage isn’t limited to the named policyholder. Depending on insurer language, it may include:
- The named policyholder, struck while walking, jogging, or riding anywhere in California
- Resident relatives living in the same household
- Other drivers or passengers listed on the same policy
A parent’s policy can sometimes protect a child without a car of their own.
Once you file a UM or UIM claim, your own insurer becomes the party you’re negotiating against. California’s Department of Insurance consumer guide confirms this coverage must be offered, but insurers can still dispute claims like any other carrier would.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my auto insurance cover me if I don’t own a car but a family member does in California?
Often, yes, in California. Many policies extend UM and MedPay benefits to resident relatives, not just the named policyholder.
What’s the difference between MedPay and uninsured motorist coverage in California?
In California, MedPay pays medical bills regardless of fault. UM/UIM covers broader damages, including pain and suffering, but only when the at-fault driver lacks sufficient insurance. Many policyholders carry both, and they can work together.
How long do I have to file a claim after being hit as a pedestrian or cyclist in California?
In California, most personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the crash. Your UM claim has its own deadline. Within two years of the crash, you must sue the at-fault driver, reach an agreement with your insurer on the amount, or demand arbitration in writing. Confirm the exact date with an attorney early.
Will filing a claim under my own policy raise my insurance rates in California?
In California, insurers generally cannot raise premiums for a UM or UIM claim when you weren’t at fault. Rules vary by carrier.
Bentley & More LLP: Your California Personal Injury Law Firm
Working through UM, UIM, and MedPay claims means reading dense policy language while juggling doctor visits and lost paychecks. Insurers rarely volunteer every benefit owed. Our attorneys review the full policy, not just obvious liability coverage, to find every source of recovery available.
Deadlines move faster than expected, and a missed one can close off compensation you could have pursued. If a car hit you while walking or biking anywhere in California, contact our firm today to find out what your policy may cover.
About the author: Greg Bentley
Co-Founder & Trial Lawyer at Bentley & More LLP
Greg Bentley is Co-Founder of Bentley & More LLP in Newport Beach, California. With 36 years of experience, he represents plaintiffs in personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, insurance bad faith, dangerous road and property conditions, and construction-site failure cases. Admitted to the State Bar of California, Greg earned his J.D. from Western State University College of Law in 1990. He is a member of several invitation-only trial organizations, including the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and is active in multiple statewide and regional trial lawyer associations.
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