I’m a Driver in Texas. What’s PIP and do I want it?

PIP is Personal Injury Protection auto insurance. It covers your bodily injuries if you are in an auto accident, even if it was your fault. In Texas, your insurance company is required to offer it. But you are not required to purchase it.

As with all insurance, hindsight is 20/20. It may not be fun making regular premium payments for a policy, but it is an enormous relief to have one where there is an accident or injury. And there are very real reasons to consider purchasing PIP insurance in Texas.

Texas Requires Minimum Auto Insurance Liability Coverage

Under Section 601.072 of the Texas Transportation Code, drivers must have minimum insurance coverage:

  • $30,000 dollars for bodily injury to or death of one person in one accident
  • $60,000 dollars for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one accident
  • $25,000 dollars for damage to or destruction of property of others in one accident

Texas requires more coverage than many other states. But even these amounts may not be enough to pay for another driver’s vehicle damage and bodily injury. In fact, the Texas Department of Insurance advises drivers to obtain more insurance than the minimum.

But there is another problem.

Auto Insurance Liability Minimum Requirements in Texas Do Not Cover Your Bodily Injury

In Texas, standard auto liability insurance usually only covers damage and injuries to the other driver, not to the driver insured by the policy. So even purchasing extra auto liability coverage won’t pay for damage to your car, or your personal injuries.

That’s why insurance companies offer other types of auto insurance coverage to help pay your additional expenses:

  • Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
  • Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage
  • Medical Payments Insurance
  • Collision Insurance (to repair your vehicle)

PIP Insurance Protects You

There are several reasons to obtain PIP insurance:

Bad Drivers

Unfortunately, many careless or reckless drivers also do not carry insurance. A driver who hits you may have no money or insurance to pay for your injuries. Maybe the car was borrowed, and there isn’t even something to sell.

Even worse, many uninsured drivers who cause accidents flee the scene. Unfortunately, Texas is in the top ten states for hit-and-run car crashes.

So even if you were not at-fault in an accident, there may be no one to pay for your injuries.

Mistakes happen

Even if you are a careful driver, many of us at some point in our life accidentally cause an accident. If you are injured in an accident that you cause, you could be left with thousands of dollars in medical and rehabilitation bills. PIP insurance protects you by paying for your auto accident bills, even if you were at-fault.

Driving in Texas is Dangerous

Texas can be one of the most dangerous states to drive. All drivers in Texas should consider obtaining Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and additional auto insurance coverage.