A client was riding as a passenger in a rehabilitation facility’s van when another driver ran through an intersection and struck the van broadside. The at-fault driver carried only Texas’s minimum $30,000 insurance policy, far short of what three spinal fractures would end up costing.
A Policy That Couldn’t Cover the Damage
The van had the right of way when the other driver T-boned it, and the driver was ruled at fault for the crash. As a passenger, the client wasn’t in a position to avoid the impact or share any blame for it. He suffered three fractures: a lower lumbar fracture, a vertebral fracture, and a mid back fracture.
The at-fault driver’s insurance policy topped out at $30,000, the state minimum. Medical treatment for three spinal fractures routinely runs well past that number, which left a significant gap between what the driver’s policy could pay and what the injuries actually cost.
Closing the Gap With a Second Policy
A minimum policy isn’t unusual in Texas, and it often leaves seriously injured people with a shortfall no matter how clear liability is. The client had underinsured motorist coverage on his own policy, built for exactly this kind of situation. Our Houston car accident attorneys pursued both the at-fault driver’s $30,000 liability policy and the client’s own underinsured motorist policy, rather than treating the minimum policy as the ceiling on the claim.
The $237,500 Result
Between the two policies, the claim settled for $237,500. This is one of several case outcomes the firm has secured for injured clients across the Houston area, including cases where the at-fault driver’s coverage wasn’t enough on its own.
Minimum insurance policies are common on Texas roads, and they rarely match the cost of a serious injury. Anyone hurt by a driver with limited coverage can reach out to Joe I. Zaid & Associates to find out whether their own policy could help close the gap.
Past results, including this settlement, do not guarantee a similar outcome in a future case, since every claim depends on its own facts, insurance coverage, and injuries.
