Do I need uninsured motorist coverage in Texas?
What it pays, why it matters more here than in most of the country, and how it interacts with your health insurance.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries and, in some forms, your vehicle, when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough of it. Texas requires insurers to offer it and requires you to reject it in writing if you do not want it.
Why it matters here
Texas has a large uninsured driver population, and South Texas is not an exception. If a driver with no coverage runs a light and injures you, your options without this coverage are your own health insurance, your own savings, and a lawsuit against someone who by definition has nothing.
The two parts
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury, which covers medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering for you and your passengers
- Uninsured motorist property damage, which covers your vehicle, usually subject to a small deductible
Underinsured coverage handles the more common case: the other driver has the state minimum 30,000 dollars and your injuries cost more than that.
How it works with health insurance
Health insurance pays medical bills. It does not pay lost wages, and it does not compensate you for the months you could not lift your child. Uninsured motorist coverage does. It also fills in deductibles and coinsurance your health plan leaves you with, which on a Marketplace bronze plan can be substantial.
What it costs
It is one of the least expensive coverages on the policy relative to what it does. On most quotes, adding it costs a few dollars a month, and it is the coverage clients thank us for most often after a crash.
Personal injury protection
Texas also requires insurers to offer PIP, which pays your medical bills and a portion of lost income quickly, regardless of who caused the crash, with no deductible and no fault determination. It is fast money in the first weeks, which is exactly when families need it.
Check your declarations page
Look for UM/UIM and PIP. If either shows rejected, that was a signature you gave at some point, and it can be reversed. Call (956) 687-3334 and we will add it. Se habla español.
Common follow-up questions
Does uninsured motorist cover a hit and run?
Generally yes, when the unidentified vehicle can be documented. Report it to police promptly, because the report matters to the claim.
If I have good health insurance, do I still need it?
Yes. Health insurance does not pay lost wages or compensate for the injury itself, and it comes with its own deductible.
Is it required in Texas?
It is not required, but insurers must offer it and you must reject it in writing. Many people who believe they have it discover the rejection on their declarations page.
Want this looked at properly?
We are an independent agency in McAllen serving Hidalgo, Cameron and Starr counties. No cost to talk it through.
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