How can you protect yourself in advance from a Personal Injury suit?  

Texas law requires you to carry insurance on your car.  However, the law only requires minimum coverage.  Minimum coverage insurance policies usually provide 30k in liability coverage per person injured to a maximum of 60k total per occurrence.  Policy “limits” mentioned above are the most the insurance company will pay on your behalf if you are proven negligent.  The insurance company also has to provide a lawyer to represent you.  The problem arises when the damages caused exceed the insurance coverage. In Texas, if you own property separate from your homestead, you could possibly lose it if a judgment is taken against you that exceeds your insurance coverage.  You should make sure you have plenty of insurance coverage to protect your non-homestead assets.  Be sure your insurance agent is fully aware of what assets you need to protect.  Increasing your limits looks very cheap in hindsight.  

   How can you protect yourself from people that carry minimum limits and have no assets to satisfy the harm they cause to you or your family?  Every day, people in Texas are seriously injured or killed by negligent or drunk drivers with minimum or NO insurance. It is absolutely necessary that you carry as much uninsured/underinsured coverage as you can afford.  You can only carry uninsured/underinsured coverage to the extent of your own limits.  Increasing your limits is the cheapest addition you can make to your policy.  If someone injures you, your underinsured coverage will pay you if the person that caused your injuries does not have enough insurance.  Take advantage of this right you have to protect yourself from underinsured people that may damage your family. The safest drivers in the world can be injured by an uninsured/underinsured driver.  PROTECT YOURSELF.

Picture Credit: Flickr

Article Written by George LeGrand. partner in LeGrand and Bernstein
State bar of Texas since 1978, American Board of Trial Advocates
Board Certified Personal Injury Trial law by Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1984
210-733-9439 (Work)
2511 N St Marys Street, San Antonio, Texas
tegrande@aol.com