My insurance paid my claim then I randomly found out the other driver HAD coverage all along??

Oh wow, almost the exact same thing happened to me a couple years ago. Other driver gave a bogus insurance card at the scene and I went through my own UM coverage. Found out months later he actually had a real policy. My insurance did pursue the other company for reimbursement — that's called subrogation — but I had to really push to find out if I'd get anything back. Spoiler: I did eventually get a partial refund of my deductible but it took forever. Keep records of everything and don't just wait passively.

So the subrogation thing is key here. When your insurer pays out under your UM policy and then discovers the at-fault driver actually had coverage, they have the right to go after that other insurer to recover what they paid. The tricky part for you is whether your policy language entitles you to get your deductible back once they recover. A lot of policies do include that, but you have to ask — they won't always volunteer it.

Also worth noting: your insurer probably should have done a more thorough coverage search before just processing it as a UM claim. That's not always legally required but it is standard practice at a lot of carriers. Might be worth asking them directly how they verified his insurance status at the time.

Honestly, from the inside, UM claims sometimes get processed fast without deep verification if the police report says uninsured — adjusters are juggling a lot of files and if the documentation says no coverage, that's what gets entered. It's not great, but it happens. Now that there's a confirmed at-fault carrier, your insurer absolutely should be reaching out to them. If they're not on it already, call and escalate. Ask specifically about subrogation recovery and your deductible reimbursement rights.

I'd be watching your renewal carefully. You filed a UM claim — even though you were completely not at fault — and some carriers will still use that against you at renewal. If subrogation is successful and they recover their money, that should theoretically clean it off your record, but don't assume they'll do it automatically or notify you. Ask in writing.

Not legal advice, but this is actually a situation where a quick consult with a PI attorney could be worth your time — many do free ones. The reason is there may be a gap between what your UM policy paid and what you were actually entitled to recover from the at-fault driver's policy (different limits, different coverage types, etc.). If you settled under your UM coverage, there could be signed documents affecting what you can still claim. Worth having someone look at the paperwork before you assume everything is resolved.

Call your insurance company today. Don't email, don't wait — call. Tell them you received correspondence from the at-fault driver's carrier and ask them point blank what their subrogation plan is and when you can expect your deductible back. Write down the name of whoever you talk to and what they say. Then follow up in writing. You'll regret it if you let this sit.

That's such a frustrating situation — you did everything right and still ended up dealing with this mess months later. I hope you get your deductible back at minimum. The fact that they didn't catch this sooner feels like it should be on them, not you.