Every motor vehicle in Texas, including commercial trucks, must be covered by adequate motorist insurance. Truck insurance pays for accidents caused by trucking companies and their truck drivers. Understanding how these insurance policies work can help if you get injured in this type of crash in San Antonio and need to seek financial compensation.
What Are the Required Amounts of Insurance for Big Rigs in Texas?
No commercial truck is allowed to operate in the State of Texas without at least the minimum required amount of liability insurance. The coverage amounts imposed by law are intended to pay for the cost of a victim’s medical bills, property damage and other expenses connected to a truck accident.
Currently, the required amounts of insurance for commercial trucks in Texas are:
- $300,000 in liability insurance for any commercial truck weighing 26,000 pounds or less that is transporting household goods within state lines.
- $500,000 in liability insurance for any commercial truck weighing 26,001 pounds or more that is transporting household goods within state lines.
- $1 million in liability insurance for any commercial truck transporting oil within state lines.
- $5 million in liability insurance for any commercial truck transporting hazardous materials within state lines.
Trucks that only transport goods within the state will generally only be subject to Texas law, while trucks that cross state lines must abide by federal and state laws alike. Under federal insurance laws, any commercial truck weighing 10,001 pounds or more that is transporting household goods across state lines must maintain at least $750,000 in liability insurance.
Do Truck Drivers Carry Personal Insurance?
In some cases, individual truck drivers in San Antonio are required to carry their own vehicle insurance policies. This may be the case if a truck driver is classified as an independent contractor rather than an employee of the truck company. If the trucker is an employee, however, the trucking company must maintain a policy that meets Texas’s requirements and covers its drivers.
State law determines who pays for motor vehicle accidents in Texas. Texas is a fault state, meaning the individual or entity found to be at fault for a truck accident can be held responsible, or liable, for paying for the victim’s injuries and property damage.
An injured truck accident victim can file an insurance claim against the insurance provider of the at-fault party. However, the victim must prove that the policyholder caused or significantly contributed to the truck accident to qualify for insurance benefits.
Most truck accident claims are filed under the legal theory of negligence. Negligence is the failure to exercise proper care, such as a truck driver who violates a federal safety law. To qualify for compensation from a trucking company’s insurance provider in San Antonio, you or your San Antonio personal injury lawyer will need to prove negligence.
Your Legal Rights as a Victim of a Large Truck Accident in San Antonio
If you get injured in a commercial truck accident in San Antonio, discuss your legal options with an experienced San Antonio truck accident attorney near you as soon as possible. An attorney can listen to your story and investigate your crash to identify the liable party or parties.
If your attorney believes that a truck driver or trucking company is responsible for causing your accident in San Antonio, he or she can help you file a claim with that party’s insurance provider and establish proof of liability.
Your personal injury lawyer in San Antonio will fight to recover maximum financial compensation through all available insurance policies on your behalf while you focus on healing from your injuries. Contact a San Antonio truck accident attorney soon after your truck accident for more information.