Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Texas: León Law Firm Explains How Claims Get Paid

A new León Law Firm guide explains how uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage works in Texas, why minimum liability limits often fall short and what injured drivers must do to get paid.

Sugar Land, United States, October 21, 2026 /NewsNetwork/ -- The León Law Firm, P.C. has published a guide to uninsured motorist coverage in Texas, explaining how drivers can recover when the person who hit them has no insurance or not enough of it. The guide is available at https://theleonlawfirm.com/uninsured-motorists/

This issue affects many Texans. According to the Texas Department of Transportation’s 2025 Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Facts report, 244,534 people were injured in Texas traffic crashes in 2025. The Insurance Research Council estimates that roughly one in seven U.S. drivers is uninsured, which means many injured drivers may have to rely on their own coverage to be paid.

Two related coverages fill that gap. Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage applies when the at-fault driver has no insurance, is covered by an insurer that cannot pay or flees the scene without being identified. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage applies when the at-fault driver has insurance, but not enough to cover the injuries.

That shortfall happens more often than many drivers expect. Texas only requires liability limits of $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage under Texas Transportation Code § 601.072. A serious injury can quickly exceed $30,000. The guide walks through an example in which an injured driver has $120,000 in damages, the at-fault driver carries $30,000 in coverage and the injured driver’s own UIM policy covers the remaining $90,000.

Many Texans have UM and UIM coverage without realizing it. Under Texas Insurance Code § 1952.101, insurers must include it in auto policies unless a named insured rejects it in writing. A rejection made once is not automatically reversed at renewal.

The guide also covers the rules that surprise people most. Hit-and-run claims generally require actual physical contact with the unknown vehicle, along with a police report. Coverage limits within a single policy cannot be stacked for one accident. And a UIM insurer generally has no duty to pay until the other driver’s fault and the injured person’s damages are established, a rule set out by the Texas Supreme Court in Brainard v. Trinity Universal Insurance Co.

In the guide, founding attorney Carlos A. León advises injured drivers to notify their own insurer promptly, get the at-fault driver’s policy limits in writing and avoid settling with the other driver’s insurer without written consent from their own company. Settling too early can put the UM or UIM claim at risk.

Drivers unsure of what to do right after a crash can review the firm’s step-by-step guide: https://theleonlawfirm.com/what-to-do-if-you-are-in-a-car-accident/

The firm generally recommends treating two years from the date of the crash as the working deadline for these claims, since policy notice requirements are often shorter. Information about the firm’s car accident practice is available at https://theleonlawfirm.com/car-accident-lawyer/

About The León Law Firm, P.C.: The León Law Firm, P.C. is a bilingual personal injury firm based in Sugar Land, Texas, founded by attorney Carlos A. León. The firm represents injured clients throughout Texas on a contingency-fee basis, in both English and Spanish. Learn more at https://theleonlawfirm.com/about-law-firm/

Contact Info:
Name: Carlos Leon
Email: Send Email
Organization: The León Law Firm, P.C.
Address: 1 Sugar Creek Center Boulevard, Sugar Land, TX 77478, United States
Website: https://theleonlawfirm.com

Source: NewsNetwork

Release ID: 89206922

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