(Transcript)

Welcome to Texas Law TV. Today we are going to be talking about how to know if you have enough automobile insurance coverage. My guest is Texas attorney Terry Bryant and he is going to talk with us about this topic. So Terry thanks for being here today.

Terry: Thank you.

Dei: Terry are there certain requirements as to how much insurance coverage a driver needs to carry in the state of Texas?

Terry: There are, Texas only requires motorists to carry a thirty, sixty bodily injury liability auto policy. That means that in the event you’re at fault in an auto accident involving a car full of people, any one person can only recover a maximum of $30000 and all persons involved can only recover a maximum of $60000 combined under your insurance policy.

Dei: Wow, that could go very fast with any type of significant injury.

Terry: Yes it could and it does. When you think about the medical bills, the emergency room bills, the doctor bills and specialists as well as lost wages, it adds up very quickly. And then if there are multiple people in the vehicle with injuries it does not take long for the minimum policy limits to be exhausted.

Dei: So what do you recommend in terms of coverage?

Terry: Your insurance policy is a group of various parts that cover you in different ways. We recommend that you begin by increasing your liability coverage to the maximum amount available, protecting yourself against a lawsuit for damages in excess of your minimum auto insurance limits, assuming you’re found to be at fault. This covers medical and funeral costs, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering. Next we recommend you carry collision and comprehensive coverages which cover the repair or replacing of your vehicle after a wreck, fire or vandalism etc. minus the deductibles. Towing and labor coverage pays for the towing charges if your vehicle becomes disabled and for labor charges when your vehicle leaves you stranded such as a tire change or some other matter.

Rental coverage provides a daily allowance for a rental vehicle when your vehicle is stolen or is in the body shop or for repairs. Finally the following 2 coverages are considered absolute must haves on any auto insurance policy. Those are uninsured, underinsured coverage and personal injury protection benefits. You should have the maximum amount of those coverages. Uninsured motorists coverage and underinsured motorist coverage pays for expenses incurred after a wreck in case the other motorist involved does not have insurance coverage or does not have enough insurance coverage to pay for the damages caused. Personal injury protection coverage pays for medical and funeral costs and up to 80% of lost wages. It’s not subject to be paid back to the carrier like Med Pay coverage.

Dei: Great information Terry, thank you for your time today.

Terry: Thank you.

Dei: Until next time this is Dei Lynam for Texas law TV.

For more information on Texas Auto Insurance Coverage please visit our website at https://www.terrybryant.com/auto-accident/auto-accident-insurance-requirements.