We recently wrote about a court decision that was favorable to people injured in car accidents that are up against big insurance companies who find ways to deny claims. In another recent ruling, however, a victim’s ability to “stack” his insurance benefits was limited.
Case 2: The Challenge of Stacking UIM Coverage
When you are seriously injured in an accident, you may need to use your own Underinsured Motorist (UIM) Coverage. If you paid for “stacked” UIM coverage, that means you have the right to combine the UIM limits from multiple vehicles on your policy to increase the total amount you can recover.
In the case, Erie Insurance v. Russo, the plaintiff was in an employer’s vehicle – provided to him for his regular use – when he was injured. The employer had a policy that provided for UIM coverage, and the plaintiff sought to stack his own personal UIM coverage onto his employer’s coverage.
The Ruling
In July of 2025, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania ultimately ruled against the injured employee, saying that, in order to stack your personal policy onto an employer’s policy, you must be a named insured on both policies. Even though the injured employee was covered by his employer’s policy while driving the company car, the court decided he was just an “occupant” or “guest passenger.”
Bottom Line for Plaintiffs
This decision defines (and unfortunately limits) who can stack their personal UIM policy with a vehicle provided by work. If you are injured in an employer-provided vehicle, your ability to recover stacked benefits from your personal policy depends critically on whether you are actually named on the employer’s insurance paperwork, not just whether you are covered while driving it.
Let Us Help
If you’ve been injured in an accident involving a work vehicle, we can carefully review both your personal policy and your employer’s policy in light of this new ruling, as well as other recent decisions, to find a way to get you the highest amount of compensation possible.
How to reach us:
- Text 215.372.8528
- Call 215.981.0999
- Message us through our website by clicking here.