How much insurance coverage do commercial trucks have?
Every driver in Texas has to carry liability insurance coverage to provide both property damage and bodily injury protection if they cause a crash. Some vehicles will likely cause far more dramatic and dangerous collisions than others.
Big commercial trucks could cause life-altering injuries and completely demolish the smaller vehicle involved in a collision. When you are not to blame for a collision with a commercial truck and need to repair your vehicle or seek coverage for medical costs, you need to have an understanding of what kind of insurance may be available.
How much coverage do commercial trucks in Texas generally have?
Small, local trucks have the least coverage
Commercial vehicles that are below a minimum weight cutoff and that only operate in Texas may have the same amount of coverage as the average personal vehicle, which could mean just $30,000 of bodily injury coverage.
However, many commercial trucking companies operate on an international or interstate basis. The trucks in their fleets will need to have coverage that complies with the insurance requirements set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The FMCSA sets different standards depending on the type of vehicle and the weight of the vehicle. For semi-trucks carrying property, minimum coverage usually starts at $750,000. Commercial vehicles transporting passengers typically have multi-million dollar liability policies.
More coverage is crucial for those facing catastrophic injuries
Given that commercial vehicles can easily cause life-altering injuries or fatalities when they collide with smaller vehicles, it makes sense that the insurance requirements for these large vehicles are bigger. Injured individuals and surviving family members may need to claim hundreds of thousands of dollars in hospital expenses or a lifetime of lost wages.
The standard insurance required under Texas state law would leave huge gaps in coverage and place an unfair burden on those affected by commercial trucking collisions. Although having access to a bigger policy is beneficial, you can also expect that the insurance company will be more aggressive about negotiating claims when the policy limit is so high.
Those hoping to maximize the compensation they receive after a commercial truck crash in Texas will likely require professional support. Knowing about the compensation available following a trucking crash can help you connect with the legal and financial support you require to move on with your life.
