In California, for underinsured motorist coverage to apply, the coverage you carry must be higher than what the underinsured driver holds. Underinsured motorist coverage covers the difference in the value of a claim versus what the at-fault party’s insurance carries.
For instance, if your case was worth $35,000, and the at-fault party has a $15,000 over $30,000 minimum policy, you would be able to settle for the $15,000 from them.
Then, if your uninsured motorist policy is $50,000, you would have $50,000 minus the $15,000; meaning that there would be another $35,000 available.