Maryland requires uninsured motorist coverage on every auto policy, and a UM claim is a claim against an insurer, not against your employer. The controlling rule is Md. Code, Insurance § 19-509. In plain English: if the driver who caused the crash has no insurance, only the bare minimum, or disappears in a hit and run, you can usually pursue UM/UIM benefits under the policy covering the vehicle you were in or your own Maryland policy.

That does not give an employer a legal right to reduce your pay, cancel coverage, or block the claim.

If you were driving your own car in College Park, your employer usually is not a party to the UM claim at all. Your claim goes to your auto insurer.

If you were in a company vehicle, the UM claim usually goes through the employer's commercial auto policy. Even then, the claim is still against the insurer that sold the policy.

Example: you leave work near Route 1 in College Park during harvest season, a grain truck drops debris, and you crash while avoiding it. No plate number. Your prior back condition suddenly gets much worse. If the truck cannot be identified, that can still be treated as an uninsured motorist situation. You should report the crash immediately to local police or Maryland State Police if it happened on I-95, I-495, or another state-patrolled highway, get medical records showing the aggravation of the pre-existing condition, and notify the UM insurer promptly.

Key points:

• Maryland has a 3-year deadline for most injury lawsuits.
• Maryland auto minimums are $30,000 / $60,000 / $15,000, and UM coverage generally tracks those minimums unless higher limits apply.
• Maryland has no general cap on auto accident damages in most negligence injury claims.

If your employer cuts hours because you were injured while working, that raises a separate retaliation issue. But filing a UM claim itself is not something your employer gets to veto.