When you are hurt in an accident where you are a pedestrian, not another driver, you may have questions about whether or not your car insurance will help pay for your injuries. Why the accident occurred and the type of insurance that you carry are two of the biggest factors that will affect whether or not—and how much—your insurance will cover you in a pedestrian accident.
In Texas, you have the option to buy medical payments coverage from your car insurance company. Usually, the coverage amount is $2,000. Medical payments coverage will cover you and your family members in the event that you are in a car or a pedestrian accident, regardless of who is at fault. Therefore, if you have medical payments coverage as part of your insurance plan, you will likely receive benefits if you are in a pedestrian accident.
Another type of insurance coverage that may cover you in the event of a pedestrian accident in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. Insurance companies in Texas are required under law to offer you PIP at the time that you purchase your car insurance; if you do not want it, you must reject it in writing. PIP covers the same things as medical payments coverage (medical bills), as well as up to 80 percent of lost income. Like medical payments coverage, PIP will cover you if you were a pedestrian at the time of the crash, regardless of fault.
Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) is another type of insurance that must be offered to you at the time that you purchase your policy. This insurance type covers you in the event that the at-fault party does not have enough insurance—or does not carry insurance at all—to pay for the extent of your injuries. Specifically, bodily injury UM/UIM coverage will pay for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, disability, and disfigurement if you are in a pedestrian accident and the driver who hit you does not have insurance.
If you have been in a pedestrian accident and think that you may be entitled to compensation from your own insurance company, the attorneys at the Law Office of Julie Johnson, PLLC can help you file your claim today. Reach out to us as soon as possible to make sure you take action within the required amount of time. Contact us at 214-290-8001 today.