Right after a car crash in Texas, you will probably have more pressing concerns than the costs involved. Trying to move your vehicle to a safe spot and assessing your passengers for injuries will be far more important been trying to estimate how much it will cost to repair your vehicle, for example.
However, once the adrenaline from the crash subsides and reality sinks in, you may have to address some significant financial issues. You will likely need to file an insurance claim to cover your costs. Which insurance policy pays for your losses after a crash in Texas?
Standard motor vehicle insurance focuses on liability
In Texas, every driver has to carry both personal injury and property damage liability coverage. The state mandates $25,000 worth of property damage coverage and $30,000 worth of bodily injury protection that goes up to $60,000 if two or more people get hurt in a crash.
Those who suffer injuries in a collision can make a claim against the policy held by the driver that the police report names as at fault. If that driver doesn’t have insurance or has inadequate coverage, the injured person may need to make a claim against their own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
What if you are a passenger in a vehicle involved in a wreck?
You may not even be in control of one of the vehicles involved in the crash to me to make an insurance claim. You could get hurt as the passenger in someone else’s motor vehicle. In that case, if they are the ones at fault, you may have to make a claim against their policy even if they are someone you know and like.
What about after a commercial vehicle collision?
Not all crashes occur between two passenger vehicles. Sometimes, a commercial driver operating a bus or a semitruck causes a crash with a smaller passenger vehicle. In that situation, the driver in the passenger vehicle may have to make a claim against the policy covering the commercial vehicle. Such policies often have higher minimum levels of coverage, which is important given the catastrophic injuries often associated with a commercial wreck.
What if you are in a vehicle for hire?
If you get into a crash while riding in a taxi or a rideshare vehicle, then you will typically need to make a claim against the policy held by the company that employs the driver if they are at fault. Taxicab companies and rideshare companies have to carry additional insurance to protect their passengers.
Understanding the basics of insurance coverage in Texas can help you navigate the claims process after a motor vehicle collision.
