Your Own Insurance Policy

It is mandatory under Texas law that all car, truck and motorcycle owners carry at least the minimum amount of liability insurance coverage. The current state law requires that each owner have at least $25,000 in liability coverage per person and $50,000 in coverage per accident. This type of insurance is used to compensate others if you are at fault in the accident.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage But, let's say you are in an automobile accident where the other driver is at fault. What sort of insurance applies to compensate you for your injuries? If you are lucky enough that the at-fault driver has liability insurance coverage, then that is the first place you look for compensation. The Texas Department of Public Safety has estimated that 20% of the drivers on our Texas roads do not carry insurance at all. (I personally think that the number of uninsured drivers is actually higher). So what happens if the at-fault driver has no insurance? At the Anderson Law Firm in Fort Worth, our injury lawyers will ask several questions next. What was the driver doing at the time of the wreck? Was the driver in someone else's car? What's the driver on the job at the time of the accident? Sometimes our accident attorneys find an insurance policy that applies, but lots of times they strike out. Then what?

Use Your Underinsured or Uninsured Motorists Coverage

If there is no additional insurance, our Fort Worth car wreck lawyers then look at your own insurance policy to see if you carry "uninsured/underinsured motorists" coverage (called "UM/UIM"). This is a type of insurance that you pay for and it covers you in case you were in an accident where someone else is at fault and they don't have insurance. This type of insurance also applies when the other person does not have enough insurance to fairly compensate you. In such a case, you stack your underinsured motorists policy on top of the at-fault driver's policy to come up the total amount of available insurance to compensate you for your injuries. You must sign a waiver when you first obtain your policy to deny this type of coverage, otherwise you have the coverage.

PIP Coverage

Another type of coverage which may be applicable is PIP, which stands for Personal Injury Protection. This covers your own medical bills and lost wages and is paid to you regardless of who was at fault. It covers everyone in your car at the time of the wreck. In Texas, PIP is available in amounts from $2,500 to $100,000 depending on the insurance company. This type of insurance comes in very handy if you are in an accident, even if you have health insurance and, believe it or not, some health carrier's do not cover bills if the treatment is related to a car accident.

You can make a claim on your PIP regardless of whether the at-fault driver has insurance. At the Anderson Law Firm, we recommend that all of our clients purchase this insurance. Sometimes our clients don't want to make a PIP claim as they are afraid that their rates will go up. By law, Texas insurers cannot raise your rates solely because of a PIP claim. Our personal injury lawyers have never heard that making a PIP claim has this effect, so we always encourage our clients to let us make the claim on their behalf. The way we see it, the big fat insurance companies take your money year after year--let them pay you when you have valid claim.

Questions About Insurance? Call the Anderson Law Firm

At the Anderson Law Firm, our personal injury attorneys are very familiar with the many issues which arise on finding coverage and knowing how to make a claim.Please do not hesitate to call us toll free at 817-294-1900 or Contact us Online about your car accident claim if you have insurance coverage questions.

Other Articles You Might Be Interested In:
What if the other driver appears to have no car insurance?
What To Do If You Were Hit By An Uninsured Driver
What is uninsured motorists coverage (UM/UIM) and do I need it?
Learn About Uninsured Motorist (UM) & Underinsured Motorist (UIM) Coverage
When should I hire a personal injury lawyer?

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Mark Anderson has been practicing personal injury law since 1991 and is recognised as one of the best attorneys in his field.

Mark is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization – a distinction held by fewer than 2% of Texas lawyers. He was selected as a life member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum as recognition for his success in recovering compensation for his clients. He has been honored with the prestigious AV Rating by the Martindale Hubbard System and has been rated 10/10 (the highest level possible) by the AVVO Rating System which ranks attorneys based on experience, conduct and industry recognition. Mark was selected as a Top Personal Injury Attorney by Fort Worth Magazine in 2009 and 2010.

For more information about Mark, see his biography.

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