Texas is famous for its football teams,barbecues and tea. Unfortunately,it’s also well known for something far more insidious—auto accidents. Texas consistently leads the nation in the number of road fatalities,with a reportable traffic collision happening every 57 seconds. This means that nearly 300,000 people getting injured and more than 3,000 losing their lives every year. If you live in Texas,it helps to have Texas auto accident laws explained so that you can understand what is at stake if you ever find yourself in a car accident,even if you’d plan to work with a -.
Automobile Insurance Requirements
The State of Texas requires drivers to file a crash report form CR-2 within 10 days after an accident if it’s not being investigated by the police. Otherwise,it’s advisable to remain on the scene of the accident and call the police to avoid being slapped with steep fines by the courts. Remember to never assume responsibility even if you feel you are at fault.
Texas is a ”fault” car insurance state,meaning you can only file an insurance claim against the at-fault driver. This differs from ”no-fault” states where insurers provide coverage for both parties regardless of where the fault lies. Most drivers purchase liability insurance with the following minimums to cover this:
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$30,000 per injured person;
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$60,000 total for injuries per accident;
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$25,000 for damage to property
File a claim with your insurance company as soon as possible.
How Car Accident Settlements Work
The willingness of the insurance company to settle an accident claim and the amount they agree to settle heavily depends on the supporting evidence. It’s therefore very important to furnish them with police reports,witness statements and any other relevant documentation. Settlement can proceed even if a lawsuit is still underway.
Insurance companies are barred by law from engaging in unfair settlement practices including negotiating in bad faith or misrepresenting relevant facts and certain policy provisions. Some insurance companies may ask you to sign a release pledging not to pursue any more claims for the incident after settlement. However,refuse to be pressured into signing a release until you are sure the amount on offer will be enough to cover your damages including future medical expenses. Texas law prohibits insurance companies from delaying payments in order to pressure the claimant into signing a release.