The insured in New York has purchased Supplementary Uninsured Motorist Coverage (SUM). This coverage:

Supplementary Uninsured Motorist Coverage (SUM) in New York is designed to enhance the protections provided under statutory uninsured motorist coverage. While standard uninsured motorist coverage offers essential protections for bodily injuries sustained in accidents with uninsured drivers, SUM extends these protections, offering higher limits and additional benefits.

By stating that this coverage replaces the statutory uninsured motorist coverage, it implies that SUM is an optional upgrade, which needs to be selected by the policyholder to enhance the minimum required coverage. This reflects an understanding of the insurances provided under New York law, which gives consumers the option to purchase SUM to better protect themselves in the event they are involved in an accident with an underinsured or uninsured driver.

In contrast, other options do not accurately encapsulate the essence of SUM. For instance, while it can indeed extend coverage to hit-and-run drivers, this is not its primary defining feature. Additionally, stating it is only applicable for bodily injury claims is limiting since SUM can also address other forms of damages that may arise under certain policies. Finally, the assertion that it decreases the insured's policy limits contradicts the fundamental purpose of the coverage, which is to provide enhanced limits rather than diminishing them. This broader understanding of coverage highlights the importance of SUM as an