People who look up information about 18-wheeler accidents may learn that commercial truck drivers must have at least a million dollars in liability insurance to drive through Texas. Some are surprised to learn that truckers need so much coverage, and in more than a few cases they wonder who made the rules about that. Where do minimum liability insurance requirements for commercial trucks come from?
Answer: The Code of Federal Regulations requires all commercial trucks to carry at least $750,000 in liability insurance and the Texas Administrative Code compels trucks operating in Texas to purchase additional coverage on top of the federal minimum.
The Federal Rule
The federal rules for minimum liability insurance come from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), more specifically 49 CFR 387.9. Below is the chart from the CFR which details insurance requirements for commercial vehicles, depending on their size and cargo:
The Texas Rule
The Texas Administrative Code (TAC) requires commercial trucks to carry additional insurance beyond the federal minimum. Much like the CFR, TAC guidelines also depend on the size of the vehicle and what it's carrying. They are helpfully charted in 43 TAC §218.16(a):
Why Do Trucking Insurance Minimums Matter to Accident Victims?
As the charts above show, trucking companies have to invest a lot in insuring their fleets. When a truck in their service gets in a serious accident, those companies and the insurers that underwrite them will typically go to great lengths to lose as little of their investments as they can. Ensuring they can't make a circus out of a personal injury or wrongful death claim is a complex and time-consuming process, which often takes resources and skillsets that accident victims and their loved ones do not have.
That's why an experienced truck accident attorney is such a valuable ally after a commercial wreck. The Texas lawyers at Grossman Law Offices have decades of experience helping the victims of all kinds of truck accidents, including pursuing the maximum available limits of the at-fault trucker's insurance policy.
The expenses and hardships of recovering from a major truck accident can be overwhelming, and anyone facing such difficulties should get all the help they're entitled to. If you were hurt or lost a loved one in a commercial truck accident, call Grossman Law today for a free and confidential consultation.
