Mandatory Texas auto insurance coverage
Bodily injury
If the policyholder or another driver covered by the Texas policy is found to be at fault in an accident resulting in injuries or fatalities, the following is typically covered under bodily injury coverage:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Legal defense if the drivers listed on the policy are involved in a lawsuit resulting from a car accident
Bodily injury coverage helps pay for damages caused to a third party.
How much protection does this coverage provide?
The dual coverage limits you select in your Texas auto insurance quote refer to the maximum amounts that will be paid per person, per incident, respectively.
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Property damage
If you or another covered driver is found to be at fault in an accident, the following can be covered under property damage coverage:
- Damage to another person's property (e.g., fence, car, or home)
- Legal costs associated with a damage incident
How much protection does this coverage provide?
The coverage limits you set in your Texas auto insurance quote refers to the maximum amounts that will be paid per accident.
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Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Personal Injury Protection is mandatory in the state of Texas, but you can decline this coverage if you sign off in writing. Esurance will send you the necessary form with your auto insurance policy documents if you choose to decline this coverage.
PIP includes:
- Medical expenses – These may include medical and surgical treatment; dental and optometric treatment; ambulance and nursing services; necessary medications, medical supplies, and prosthetic devices.
- Lost wages – If you or your passengers are unable to work due to accident-related injuries, PIP helps you recover your lost wages.
- Substitute services – Should you or your regular passengers need help performing household or other tasks due to accident-related injuries, PIP also helps pay for such substitute services.
- Funeral expenses – If a covered individual dies from accident-related injuries, PIP helps pay for related funeral expense.
PIP provides coverage to the policyholder, resident relatives of the policyholder, passengers without PIP, and authorized drivers of the insured vehicle.
How much protection does this coverage provide?
The coverage limits you see in your auto insurance quote refer to the maximum amount that will be paid per person for any combination of covered expenses.
Who might benefit from buying additional medical coverage along with PIP?
People who don't have health insurance that would adequately cover the expenses listed above. People who carpool or frequently drive with passengers.
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Optional Texas auto insurance coverages
Medical payments
Medical payments is an optional coverage in Texas that pays for medical and dental treatment, hospitalization, professional nursing services, prostheses, and funeral expenses if a covered driver and/or accompanying passengers are injured while in an insured vehicle, regardless of who is at fault in the accident.
Medical payments may also cover policyholders and their family members when they are injured while riding in someone else's car, or if a car hits them while on foot or bicycling.
If you and your regular passengers already have health insurance that covers similar expenses, medical payments coverage may be unnecessary. Check your health insurance policy for details.
The coverage limit refers to the maximum amount that will be paid per person, per accident.
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Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury
If you choose to have uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury on your Texas policy and you want it to apply to multiple cars, you must select the same limit for each car. Also, the limits you choose must be less than, or equal to, your bodily injury limits. If they're less than your bodily injury limits, you'll need to sign off in writing. Esurance will send you the necessary forms with your Texas policy documents.
If the covered individuals are injured in an accident caused by a driver who has no auto insurance or insufficient coverage, compensatory damages that a policyholder is entitled to receive will be covered.
If you're injured in an accident caused by a driver who has no auto insurance coverage, uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage can cover the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Other general damages
- Injuries sustained in hit-and-run accidents
Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury provides coverage to the policyholder, authorized policy members, and passengers.
How much protection does this coverage provide?
The dual coverage limits you see in your Texas auto insurance quote refer to the maximum amount that will be paid per person, per incident, respectively.
If the other driver is uninsured, this coverage can generally pay up to the limit you purchase. If the driver is underinsured, this coverage typically pays the difference between what's covered by the other driver's insurance and what's covered by your bodily injury coverage.
If the limits you purchase are lower than an accident's costs, you'll be responsible for paying the amount over your limits, unless you're covered by health insurance.
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Uninsured motorist property damage
This coverage cannot be purchased without property damage coverage. Also, if you want to buy this coverage on multiple vehicles, the limits must be the same for each vehicle.
Uninsured motorist property damage provides coverage to insured vehicles damaged in an accident caused by a driver who has no insurance.
Who might benefit from buying uninsured motorist property damage coverage?
Uninsured motorist property damage coverage is offered in conjunction with your collision coverage, because uninsured motorist coverage alone is usually insufficient to cover all accident-related costs for your car. When you have collision coverage, uninsured motorist property damage coverage can pay for the cost of your collision deductible if your vehicle is damaged in an accident caused by an uninsured driver.