Collisions on the road are a leading cause of premature death and severe injury across the United States, including here in Texas. Every day, people get into crashes that wreck their vehicles and send them to the hospital.
Injuries ranging from broken bones to spinal cord injuries could leave someone out of work for weeks or possibly the rest of their life, in extreme cases. Resulting lost wages will only compound the medical expenses they have following the crash. A collision that someone didn’t cause could completely alter their personal financial circumstances for the rest of their life as a result.
Every driver in Texas should is legally bound to carry liability insurance coverage, including bodily injury protection. In theory, that means someone hurt in a crash can hold the person who caused the wreck responsible by filing an insurance claim to cover their losses. But, can someone unable to work after a car crash count on insurance to replace their wages, especially if their lost income potential is great?
Insurance may not be enough, in many cases
What someone can get from a policy depends on the applicable limit, which may be only a fraction of someone’s annual salary. Every driver gets to choose how much coverage they have, so long as they pay for the basic amount required by the state. When it comes to bodily injury coverage, the Texas requirement is $30,000 per person and $60,000 per crash.
The amount of coverage that someone carries determines how much someone can get from a claim. Those with minimal policies may not be able to replace much of someone’s lost income, especially after factoring in the cost of medical care.
What happens when insurance isn’t enough?
Those with lost wages and insufficient insurance coverage may have few choices other than going to civil court. Texas law allows those hurt by the misconduct or negligence of others to ask for financial compensation for their losses.
A successful personal injury claim could potentially more fully compensate someone for the cost of a crash, especially when someone’s insurance coverage is low and their typical hourly wage is significant. Learning more about all options that are available following a Texas motor vehicle collision can help people to better manage the financial losses they’ve suffered following a crash.