Texas has thousands of miles of road and millions of cars traveling those streets on any given day. Most drivers do their best to abide by Texas state traffic laws to reduce their risk of a crash and their liability should a collision occur.
Unfortunately, there are always a few people willing to ignore or openly violate state statutes. People drive at speeds well over the posted limit and refuse to use their turn signals. They may also fail to renew their driver’s licenses as they should or carry appropriate insurance.
Those who break the law put others at risk not only of a crash but also of financial hardship should have crash occur. How likely is someone involved in a wreck in Texas to discover that the other driver doesn’t have insurance coverage?
A small but concerning percentage of drivers are uninsured
Many people view car insurance as an unfair secondary expense that makes driving cost-prohibitive. However, insurance is expensive because crashes are expensive. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars to replace a vehicle and far more than that to cover medical expenses and lost wages when someone has serious injuries.
Insurance helps protect people from personal liability by covering costs when someone is to blame for a collision. It also helps people feel confident about their ability to get compensation when a crash occurs. An analysis by the Insurance Information Institute looking at 2019 data found that roughly 8.3% of drivers in Texas do not have proper insurance.
The discovery that the person at fault for the wreck does not have insurance often leaves people feeling very concerned about their financial futures. Thankfully, Texas state law also allows for personal injury lawsuits. Those affected by a crash caused by someone without insurance can seek compensation via litigation.
A lawsuit can lead to full coverage for medical expenses and vehicle repair costs. People can also claim lost wages and other secondary expenses related to the crash. Even though some people do carry special insurance coverage, called uninsured motorist protection, using that coverage can often mean paying more for insurance in the future.
Knowing what risks someone faces on Texas roads can help them better prepare for challenging situations.