Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Pasadena, Texas: What Coverage May Apply?

I’m Don McClure, a Houston car accident attorney serving Pasadena and nearby communities. This guide explains which coverages may help and why paying for repairs does not necessarily resolve an injury claim.

Uninsured Driver in Pasadena: Injury Coverage vs. Car-Damage Coverage

First, separate the bills into two groups: injuries and vehicle damage. The coverage that helps with one may not help with the other.

These are general coverage categories, not a promise of payment. Policy terms, limits, exclusions, and who is insured still matter. [2] [3] [4]

What Happens If the Driver Who Injured Me Has No Insurance?

The next question is what coverage was available when the crash happened. For example, your own UM coverage may provide a route for an injury claim. Collision may offer a separate route for car damage. [1]

Still, a driver’s lack of insurance does not prove fault. The claim needs evidence of what happened and the losses caused by the crash.

Being hit by an uninsured driver in Pasadena also does not tell you whether every possible policy has been checked. If the driver was working or using someone else’s vehicle, those facts may warrant a closer review. They do not automatically create coverage.

Does Liability-Only Insurance Cover My Injuries?

Your liability coverage does not pay for your own injuries. It generally pays other people’s covered losses when you are responsible for a crash. [3]

However, “liability-only” is sometimes used loosely. Your actual policy may also list PIP, MedPay, or UM/UIM. Therefore, the policy records matter more than the label someone uses.

If you truly have liability coverage alone, that coverage does not become medical or repair coverage simply because the other driver has no insurance.

How Can I Tell Whether I Have Uninsured Motorist Coverage?

Start with your declarations page, often called a “dec page.” This summary lists your coverage, limits, deductibles, and policy dates. [5]

Look for entries such as:

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury.
• UM/UIM BI or UMBI.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage.
• UM/UIM PD or UMPD.
• PIP and medical payments coverage.

Check the policy that was in effect on the crash date. Also, the summary is only a starting point. The full policy and any added forms explain the terms.

What if the insurer says I rejected UM coverage?

Texas law generally requires UM/UIM coverage unless a named insured rejects it in writing. A valid earlier rejection may carry forward to certain renewals or reinstatements. [4]

If coverage is disputed, the written rejection and policy history may need review. Not remembering a rejection does not, by itself, prove that coverage exists.

What If the Driver Has Insurance but Not Enough?

That raises an underinsured motorist question. UIM coverage may help with covered losses that exceed the available liability insurance, subject to its terms and limits. [1]

For example, an injury may lead to treatment costs and missed work that exceed the other driver’s available insurance. Meanwhile, the vehicle damage is a separate part of the claim.

UIM is not an automatic extra check for the full amount listed on your policy. The covered losses, available liability payment, and policy limits affect what may remain payable. [4]

For more background, read about uninsured and underinsured motorist claims in Texas .

Can Coverage Apply If the Driver Leaves the Scene?

Yes, some hit-and-run claims may be covered. However, the details matter. UM coverage can help when the responsible driver cannot be identified, subject to the policy and Texas law. [1]

Physical contact matters when the driver is unknown

Texas Insurance Code Section 1952.104 requires actual physical contact for UM recovery when the owner or driver of the vehicle causing the loss is unknown. The contact must be between that vehicle and the insured person or their property. [4]

As a result, a crash caused by swerving to avoid an unknown vehicle that never makes contact can raise a different UM coverage issue. Other coverages, such as collision or PIP, may still need review.

Police reporting matters, too. TDI says a hit-and-run must be reported to police for uninsured motorist coverage to pay. Prompt notice to your insurer also matters because policies can have reporting requirements. [3]

Do Injury Claims and Car-Repair Claims Have the Same Deductible?

Do not assume they do. Texas’s $250 UM/UIM deductible applies to property-damage coverage. It should not be described as a deductible for every UM injury claim. [4]

Collision uses the deductible listed in your policy. If both collision and UM property-damage coverage may apply, the insurer can explain the available routes. Using more than one coverage does not mean the same loss can be paid twice.

What Information Helps After an Uninsured-Driver Crash?

Useful records can help separate the injury claim from the repair claim:

• The police report and crash location.
• Photos, video, and witness contact details.
• The driver’s information, if known.
• Your policy and declarations page.
• Medical records and bills.
• Records of missed work.
• Repair estimates and vehicle photos.

Also, keep the insurer’s letters and claim numbers. A request for more information is different from a denial of coverage. If a claim is denied, the stated reason helps identify the issue.

How Car Accident Attorney Don McClure Can Help

If you were hurt by an uninsured driver in Pasadena, I can review the crash and discuss your legal options. Depending on the case, that may include reviewing insurance records, checking disputed coverage, gathering evidence, and pursuing an injury claim.

My office handles car wreck injury cases for people in Pasadena and nearby communities. Each claim depends on its facts and available coverage.

FAQs About Being Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Pasadena