Stacking
Combining the limits of more than one policy or vehicle — and in California, mostly not allowed.
People assume two cars means double the coverage. California policies are generally written to prevent exactly that. This is general information, not legal advice.
What it means
Stacking means adding together the uninsured or underinsured limits from several vehicles or several policies to reach a larger total.
California's uninsured motorist statute contemplates anti-stacking terms, and insurers write them. The practical result is that a household with three insured cars usually does not have three times the coverage available for one injury.
What is worth checking is whether more than one policy responds at all — a resident relative's policy, an employer's, an umbrella. That is a different question from stacking, and it is more often productive.
Where this is dealt with properly
This entry is the short answer. These pages own the subject.
Common questions
- I pay for coverage on three cars. Do the limits add up?
- Generally not. Policies are written to prevent it. Whether a second policy responds at all is the better question, and it is worth asking.
Start a case review call
On a case review call, I go through the facts with you: what happened, when, whether you were hurt, whether anyone represents you, and how to reach you. It is not legal advice, and I will not put a value on your claim.
Sources: Ins. Code, § 11580.2 (the uninsured and underinsured motorist statute, under which policy anti-stacking terms operate).