Inspite of Texas law that requires automobile owners to have financial responsibility, Texas, including Austin, has a large percentage of drivers without auto insurance. Our office has clients involved in accidents caused by uninsured drivers every month. Even worse are the drivers that cause an accident and then attempt to "hit n' run" after a collision.

 

    A new law, implemented January 1, 2008, is hoped to reduce the automobile owners without auto insurance. Police, making a traffic stop, will be able to access vehicle insurance information. This will enable them to ticket drivers without valid insurance coverage and impound their vehicles. A recent survey in Travis County by the Texas Department of Insurance showed over 25% of drivers stopped by State Troopers had no insurance.

 

    You can't keep an uninsured driver from causing a wreck but you can protect yourself with Uninsured Motorist protection for your own auto.

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A recent example of the importance of uninsured motorist protection:

 

The picture at right is from an accident that occurred 10/23/2008 on West US 290 that involved one of our clients. A westbound driver in a borrowed pickup truck distracted by texting enters the eastbound lanes of travel at high speed. The first vehicle hit was our client's Jetti (see picture). The accident then continued with the westbound vehicle colliding head-on with a second sedan. One person was gravely injured and another killed in this second vehicle.

 

The pickup truck's owner was insured but completely inadequate for this horrific accident. Since uninsured motorist includes under-insured motorist, our client's insurance coverage paid $3157 for her totaled Jetti.