Every Texas driver must carry liability insurance of at least $30,000 for injuries to one person, $60,000 for total injuries in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Agents and state paperwork write this as 30/60/25, and those three numbers are the legal floor every driver in Texas is required to meet, and drivers are free to carry more.
What the 30/60/25 Numbers Actually Mean
Each figure is a separate limit under Texas Transportation Code § 601.072 that applies only to a crash the insured driver causes. They do not combine into one pool, and they pay nothing toward that driver’s own vehicle or injuries. Here is how the coverage is split:
- $30,000 per person: The most your insurer pays for one injured person’s medical bills and related losses from a single wreck.
- $60,000 per accident: The combined cap for everyone hurt in that wreck, still held to the $30,000 limit for any one person.
- $25,000 for property damage: The most your insurer pays to repair or replace the other driver’s car and any other property you damaged.
Picture a wreck where a driver injures two people, and their bills total $90,000. The at-fault driver’s policy pays out at $60,000 and stops. The remaining $30,000 does not disappear. It becomes a debt attached to the driver who caused the crash, and the injured parties can pursue that driver personally for it.
Coverage Texas Requires Insurers to Offer Every Driver
Texas law requires every auto insurer to include two additional coverages on a policy unless the driver rejects them in writing. The Texas Department of Insurance auto insurance guide lays this out:
- Personal injury protection (PIP): Must be offered on every Texas auto policy, and pays medical bills and part of lost income for the insured driver and passengers, regardless of who caused the crash.
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM): Must also be offered on every policy, and pays the driver’s own bills when the at-fault driver has no insurance, carries too little, or flees the scene.
About one in seven Texas drivers carries no insurance at all, which is exactly why the law requires insurers to make UM/UIM available on every policy. A driver who signed a thick stack of forms years ago and waived these may not have them now, so pulling up the declarations page is worth doing before a claim ever comes up.
Why the State Minimum Is Often Not Enough
The 30/60/25 limits have not changed since 2011, while the price of a hospital stay and the cost of a new vehicle both kept climbing. A single ambulance ride, an emergency room visit, and one surgery can wipe out $30,000 before anyone counts lost wages or a second injured passenger. Modern vehicles make it worse on the property side, since the cameras and sensors packed into bumpers now turn a minor collision into a five-figure repair.
There’s a part of this most people don’t expect. When the at-fault driver’s coverage runs dry, an injured person can pursue that driver’s assets directly for the rest of the losses. Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001, which lets an injured person recover as long as they are not more than 50% at fault, with the award reduced by their own share of the blame.
A minimum policy simply does not stretch across a serious injury case, which is why a driver carrying only the floor is so often the one who ends up personally sued.
What These Limits Mean If Another Driver Hits You
If someone else caused your car accident, the at-fault driver’s limits set the ceiling on what their insurer will ever pay you, no matter how badly you were injured. When your damages run past that number, three things tend to matter most:
- The at-fault driver’s personal assets: Whether pursuing them individually is worth the effort depends on what they own.
- Your own UM/UIM coverage: This can pay the gap when the other side carries too little.
- Additional responsible parties: An employer, a bar, or a vehicle manufacturer may share legal responsibility and carry far deeper coverage than one driver.
That last point is where a real courtroom firm earns its keep, because finding the second or third defendant often matters more than the at-fault driver’s thin policy.
What If a Driver Hits You With No Insurance?
Texas requires every driver to carry liability coverage, but Texas Transportation Code § 601.191 makes clear the law has teeth only after the fact, not before someone gets behind the wheel. A first offense for driving without insurance comes with a fine of $175 to $350, a second offense runs $350 to $1,000 with possible license and registration suspension, and repeat or aggravated situations can mean the vehicle gets impounded. A conviction can also require an SR-22, a certificate from the insurer proving the driver carries the state minimum coverage, kept active for two years. None of that puts a dollar back in an injured driver’s pocket.
If the driver who hit you carries no insurance at all, your own UM/UIM coverage is usually the fastest path to being paid, since it steps into the at-fault driver’s place and treats the claim the way that driver’s own liability policy would have. You can also pursue the uninsured driver personally for what UM/UIM does not cover, though collecting depends entirely on what that person actually owns.
In serious cases, attorneys also look for other responsible parties, an employer, a vehicle owner who loaned the car, or a business that overserved alcohol, since those defendants often carry insurance where the driver has none.
Talk to a Firm That Actually Tries These Cases
If a driver with too little insurance, or no insurance at all, hurts you, our auto accident lawyers at The Buzbee Law Firm can push the claim past those limits and go looking for every party that shares the blame. We built our name in the courtroom rather than the quick settlement business. Contact us online to set up a free case review, or call 800-992-5393 today.
About The Author: Tony Buzbee
Tony Buzbee earned his J.D. summa cum laude from the University of Houston Law Center after serving as a United States Marine Corps Recon officer. He is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading trial lawyers and has received honors including Texas Lawyer Attorney of the Year and Lawdragon Leading Lawyer.
Known for taking on high-stakes litigation nationwide, Tony is respected for his leadership, courtroom advocacy, and commitment to achieving exceptional results for his clients and the community.
Client testimonials frequently praise Tony’s strategic approach, relentless advocacy, and ability to secure successful outcomes in complex cases.
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