Important News from Your Texas Accident Lawyer

Car Insurance Required by Law in Texas

Posted on Jan 03, 2011

Raise Your Limits! The minimum amount of automobile liability coverage Texans must have has now gone up to $30,000.00 to cover each injured person, $60,000.00 per accident and $25,000.00 for property damgage. Actually, this is a very small increase, but one that was needed just the same. Be sure and check your policies to assure you are currently in compliance with the law. Of course, if you read the last Denena & Points, PC newsletter and researched this site you know every driver should actually have much more in coverage to proctect themselves and others. To discuss the proper insurance coverage contact a Houston accident attorney at Denena & Points, PC for more information. Also, review our latest Denena & Points, PC newsletter, Volume 1, Issue 2, for an in-depth discussion of car insurance.

Texas insurance regulators said the increased coverage should not amount to significanly larger insurance bills. Jerry Hagins of the Texas Department of Insurance has stated he expects the cost for these minimum limits policies to go up only about two to three percent. Unfortunately, fifty percent of vehicles in Texas - about 7.5 million - are minimally insured with low limit policies and no underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage. About 1 in 5 vehicles in Texas are totally uninsured according to date from TDI.

State insurance regulators said the increased coverage shouldn't amount to significantly larger insurance bills. Jerry Hagins at the Department of Insurance said minimum liability insurance policies would go up 2 to 3 percent. (Fifty percent of vehicles in Texas — or about 7.5 million — are minimally insured with liability coverage, and about 1 in 5 vehicles are uninsured, according to industry data provided to the department.)

The state requires drivers to carry liability insurance to pay to repair or replace the vehicle of the person who is not at fault in an accident. It also covers at least a portion of the medical expenses of the driver who is not at fault. It does not pay to repair or replace the at-fault driver's car or to treat the at-fault driver's injuries.