Motorcycle Accident Insurance in Texas
A serious motorcycle injury routinely costs more than the at-fault driver's policy will pay. Finding every applicable layer of coverage is usually worth more to a rider than anything else done on the claim.
- 138Google reviews
- 3Attorneys on your case
- 2 yrsTexas filing deadline
- No feeUnless we win
Texas minimum limits and why they run out
Texas requires liability coverage of 30,000 dollars per injured person, 60,000 dollars per collision and 25,000 dollars for property damage. A great many drivers carry exactly that.
A serious motorcycle injury can exhaust the per-person minimum during the initial hospital admission, before any surgery, rehabilitation or lost income is counted. The practical question in most serious claims is therefore not whether the driver was insured but what other coverage exists.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
UM and UIM coverage sits on the rider's own policy and pays when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough. In motorcycle claims it is frequently the largest available source of recovery.
It has to have been purchased. Texas insurers must offer it, and a rider who declined it did so in writing. Check the policy rather than relying on memory, because riders routinely believe they declined coverage they in fact hold. Note also that UIM usually requires the insurer's consent before you settle with the at-fault driver, and settling without it can forfeit the claim.
Policies beyond the driver's own
If the driver was working at the time, an employer's commercial policy may respond, and those limits are typically far higher. This applies to delivery, trades and sales driving as much as to obvious commercial vehicles.
If the driver was in someone else's vehicle, the owner's policy may apply as well as the driver's. Some households carry umbrella policies sitting above the auto policy. None of these is volunteered by an adjuster.
What motorcycle policies typically do not cover
Personal injury protection and medical payments coverage, which pay medical costs regardless of fault, are commonly excluded or reduced on motorcycle policies in ways riders do not expect.
Riders also frequently discover that aftermarket parts, custom work and riding gear are limited or excluded unless separately scheduled. Read the declarations page rather than assuming parity with a car policy.
Dealing with the adjuster
The at-fault driver's adjuster is not neutral and is not obliged to be. Early contact is aimed at securing a recorded statement, a broad medical authorization and an early release, all of which reduce what is ultimately paid.
A blanket medical authorization gives access to an entire history and is routinely used to attribute the injury to something pre-existing. Authorization limited to relevant records and the relevant period is the reasonable position.
Health insurance, liens and subrogation
Using your own health insurance for treatment is usually sensible. It also creates a subrogation interest: the health insurer may be entitled to reimbursement from any settlement.
Hospitals can file liens in Texas as well. These obligations survive the settlement and have to be identified and resolved before funds are released, which is why a gross settlement figure is not what the rider receives.
Summary
| Source | When it applies | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| At-fault driver liability | Almost always the first layer | Minimum limits are often exhausted quickly |
| Your UM coverage | Driver uninsured or unidentified | Must have been purchased |
| Your UIM coverage | Driver's limits insufficient | Usually needs insurer consent before you settle |
| Employer policy | Driver was working | Typically far higher limits |
| Vehicle owner policy | Driver did not own the car | Separate from driver's policy |
| Umbrella policy | Household carries excess cover | Sits above the auto policy |
Keep reading
Cedar Park Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Motorcycle claims are decided twice: once on the facts, and once against the assumption that the rider must have been speeding.
Practice areaTexas Motorcycle Helmet Law
Texas does not require every rider to wear a helmet.
ReadIs Lane Splitting Legal in Texas?
Texas law does not authorize riding between lanes of traffic. That matters for how fault is divided, but it does not automatically end a claim.
ReadHow a Texas Motorcycle Case Works
Most riders have never been through this and are told very little about what comes next.
ReadTexas Motorcycle Accident Law
A motorcycle claim in Texas is governed by a handful of statutes that decide whether it can be brought...
ReadMotorcycle Accident Legal Help
Not every claim needs a lawyer, and any firm that tells you otherwise is selling.
Read
Frequently asked questions
Your own uninsured motorist coverage may respond if you purchased it. Texas insurers must offer UM and UIM, and a rider who declined it did so in writing, so check the policy rather than relying on recollection.
Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy can make up the shortfall. It usually requires your insurer's consent before you settle with the at-fault driver, and settling without that consent can forfeit the UIM claim.
Not a blanket one. A broad authorization gives access to your entire medical history and is routinely used to attribute the injury to a pre-existing condition. Authorization limited to relevant records and the relevant period is the reasonable position.
Often yes. Health insurers commonly have a subrogation interest and hospitals can file liens in Texas. These are resolved before funds are released, so the gross settlement figure is not what you receive.
Talk it through with a lawyer
A free consultation covers whether you have a claim, what the deadline is, and what insurance is actually available.
Contingency fee. You pay nothing unless we win.