While not required, some find uninsured coverage helpful for accidents & subsequent injuries
In Texas, the law gives you the option to purchase auto insurance to protect yourself against both uninsured and underinsured motorists. While uninsured motorist insurance (specifically) is optional, your insurance company is required to offer you the option, and if you choose not to purchase it, you must make this clear in writing.
While uninsured insurance is optional in Texas, whether or not you still consider it to be a “need” is entirely up to you as an individual and what kinds of risks you are comfortable taking.
The Law in Texas
The law in Texas mandates that those who drive pay for the accidents that they cause, and typically, this is done via auto liability insurance. However, Texas also abides by what’s known as modified comparative negligence, which means that even if you suffered injuries in a car accident and the other driver exhibited negligence, you cannot recover any damages from them if you were 51 percent or more responsible for the accident.
What Is the Minimum, And What Does It Cover?
Liability insurance generally covers the cost to repair or replace another driver’s car—as well as their medical expenses—if you have been found at-fault in a car accident. The current minimum liability in terms of Texas’ financial responsibility law is $30,000 for each injured person, $60,000 per accident, and $25.000 for property damage, per accident. This is sometimes known as “30/60/25 coverage.”
Personal Injury Claims to Cover What Insurance Won’t
However, it is important to note that – due to high cost of both cars and medical care – purchasing the minimum amount of insurance that Texas requires may not cover all of the costs involved in an accident. It is entirely possible for injured drivers and passengers to file personal injury claims against those responsible in association with uncovered costs from an accident.
In order to ensure more coverage for potential injuries and/or damage to vehicles, it is advisable to purchase additional types of coverage, such as comprehensive, medical payments collision, personal injury protection, and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
Comprehensive Car Accident & Personal Injury Attorneys Serving Texas
If you have been in a car accident that was someone else’s fault, you should see a doctor and speak with an attorney right away even if the damage to your vehicle seems minor and you don’t feel particularly injured, per se. Injuries like whiplash can sometimes be difficult to detect immediately after accidents, but can leave you debilitated for the rest of your life.
Contact our Houston, Texas car accident and personal injury attorneys to find out more about our services. We serve Brazoria, Galveston, and Harris Counties, as well as surrounding areas.
