How Much Car Insurance Do I Need?
Yes, yes, I know, every penny counts, especially nowadays! But the few dollars you may try to save on your car insurance bill may cost you dearly in the long run.
Lets start with the basics. In the State of Texas you are REQUIRED to have at least liability coverage on your vehicle. Liability insurance is that portion of your insurance which pays for the property and personal injury damages of someone you hit if a collision is your fault. In Texas the minimum amount of liability insurance that you are required to carry to cover for bodily injuries you may cause is $20,000.00 per person and $40,000.00 per incident. You are also required to carry $15,000.00 worth of insurance to cover any property damage you may cause.
So let me ask you this, have you seen a typical hospital bill lately? Have you seen some of the fancy cars people drive in this city? If those minimum limits sound a bit low, its because they are. In a time when any stay in a hospital is likely to cost tens of thousands of dollars and a new Toyota (not a Lexus mind you, but a Toyota) can cost upward of $25,000.00, you should seriously think about asking your insurance agent for more than these minimum limits. I think you will find the cost of increasing your coverage to $100,000.00 per person and $300,000.00 per incident surprisingly small. Your coverage for property damage will increase as well. Of course, as an alternative, you could just make sure you always drive behind vehicles that are at least ten years old!