In Texas, motorists are required to insure their vehicles before they can hit the open road. Minimum coverage must include at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident in bodily injury benefits, plus another $25,000 for property damage. However, it’s been reported that one out of seven Texas drivers is uninsured.
If you get into an accident with an uninsured driver in Texas, or if an at-fault driver only carries minimum coverage and you suffer catastrophic injuries in a crash, it’s easy to worry about how you’ll cover your medical expenses, offset missed paychecks, and cope with unexpected changes in your life.
That’s where an Austin car accident attorney at Dow Law Firm can help.
When the at-fault party doesn’t have insurance, or when their insurance isn’t enough to make you whole, our dedicated team of uninsured and underinsured motorist lawyers in Austin helps you find other policies to fill the gap. This often means looking at your own auto insurance policy and/or pursuing damages from another liable party.
Using Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage After a Crash in Austin
Insurance companies in Texas must offer underinsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage when you buy a car insurance policy. Both coverages include a minimum of $30,000/$60,000 in bodily injury and $25,000 in property damage.
UM essentially takes the place of coverage an uninsured or hit-and-run motorist should have had in place at the time of an accident. UIM, on the other hand, bridges the gap between an at-fault driver’s policy and damages you have that exceed the driver’s policy limits. You don’t have to add UM or UIM to your car insurance policy, but it’s highly encouraged.
When you get into an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, an experienced Austin uninsured and underinsured motorist attorney can help you file a UM/UIM claim with your insurance company to recover these benefits to help with:
- Current and future medical bills
- Lost wages during your recovery
- Pain and suffering
Just because it’s your insurance company doesn’t mean a UM/UIM claim will be straightforward. The adjuster’s job is to protect the company’s profit margin, which means finding a way to limit what’s paid out to you. Our Austin uninsured and underinsured motorist lawyers know how to handle these complex situations and achieve optimal results.
Exhausting PIP and MedPay Benefits After an Accident in Austin, TX
Some insurance companies also offer Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and MedPay benefits, too. If you added either of these types of coverage to your car insurance policy, you can potentially file a claim to get those benefits after an accident with an uninsured driver, a hit-and-run driver, or a driver who didn’t have enough coverage to pay the full cost of your damages.
PIP benefits typically pay for $2,500 in medical treatment and 80 percent of lost wages. MedPay covers between $1,000 and $10,000 in reasonable medical bills in the first year after a collision, depending on your chosen policy limit.
For a deeper breakdown of how these coverages compare to UM/UIM benefits, check out our guide on PIP vs. MedPay vs. UM/UIM coverage in Texas. If you are unsure how to stack these policies effectively, consulting an uninsured and underinsured motorist attorney ensures no available coverage is left on the table.
Call an Austin Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Lawyer at Dow Law Firm
When your UM and UIM benefits aren’t enough to cover your losses, and PIP and MedPay still fall short of what you need, Dow Law Firm can help you explore other options for recovery.
In Texas, multiple parties can be liable for a crash. Our uninsured and underinsured motorist attorneys will investigate, preserve evidence, and work hard to determine who else might be on the hook for your crash-related losses. When someone else shares blame, we’ll build a claim to force them to step up and make things right.
Our uninsured and underinsured motorist lawyers in Austin bring decades of combined experience to client cases, along with a multi-million-dollar track record of success.
Benefit from our personalized and powerful legal representation by calling our Austin uninsured and underinsured motorist attorneys at (512) 240-9951 or completing our online form today. Your first consultation is free.