This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, financial, or tax advice, and no attorney-client relationship is formed by reading it. Laws, regulations, official guidance, and related information vary by jurisdiction, change frequently, and may have changed or become outdated since publication. Always verify current information with authoritative sources and consult a qualified professional about your specific circumstances. The author and publisher assume no liability for actions taken based on this information.
Key Facts
- Texas state level: Texas law requires a driver involved in a crash involving apparent injury or death to stop at or return to the scene, determine whether anyone is involved, and remain while providing required information and assistance.
- Texas state level: Drivers in a crash involving injury, death, or apparent vehicle damage serious enough to prevent normal and safe driving must immediately notify local law enforcement.
- Texas state level: Texas requires liability coverage of at least $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident.
- Texas state level: Texas insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, but a policyholder may reject it in writing.
- Texas state level: TxDOT retains crash reports filed on or after January 1, 2019, for 10 years, subject to the statutory rules governing who may obtain them.
A car accident in Texas can raise separate questions about scene duties, police reports, required insurance, and proportionate responsibility. The Texas statutes and agencies responsible for those subjects supply the state-specific rules described here.
This Texas crash guide explains the legal framework without applying it to any individual collision. A broader overview of car accidents and the claims process provides useful national context, while the state rules below control the Texas-specific points.
Texas law separates scene duties from civil fault
Transportation Code Chapter 550 regulates conduct at the scene and crash reporting.
When a crash apparently involves injury or death, Section 550.021 requires the driver to stop at the scene or return immediately, determine whether a person is involved, and remain until the driver has complied with Section 550.023. That related section requires identifying and vehicle information, presentation of a driver’s license on request, and reasonable assistance to an injured person, including transportation for treatment when it is apparently necessary or requested.
For a collision involving only vehicle damage, Section 550.022 generally requires an immediate stop without unnecessarily obstructing traffic. When a drivable vehicle is involved on certain high-capacity roadways, the statute directs the driver to move it to a designated accident-investigation location or another suitable nearby place.
Not every Texas crash produces the same report
A driver must immediately notify local law enforcement when a crash involves injury, death, or apparent vehicle damage that prevents normal and safe operation. An investigating officer must submit a written report to TxDOT when the crash results in injury, death, or apparent property damage of at least $1,000.
The officer’s report is commonly called a CR-3. TxDOT explains that it is generally available only to people and entities authorized by Transportation Code Section 550.065, and the request process requires information that identifies the crash.
TxDOT describes the CR-3 as the investigating officer’s crash report and provides a statutory request process for obtaining it.
Texas insurance starts with liability coverage
Texas requires drivers to show financial responsibility, most commonly through auto liability insurance. The minimum liability limits are often written as 30/60/25: $30,000 for bodily injury to one person, $60,000 for bodily injury in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage in one accident.
Liability coverage pays for another person’s covered injuries or property damage when the insured driver is legally responsible, up to the policy limits.
Other coverages answer different questions. Collision coverage generally concerns damage to the insured vehicle after a collision, while personal injury protection can cover specified medical costs, lost income, and related expenses regardless of who caused the crash. Texas insurers must offer personal injury protection and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, although each may be rejected in writing.
Policy terms, exclusions, deductibles, limits, and proof of loss all affect what a particular coverage provides. The declarations page identifies selected coverages and limits, but the policy language contains the operative terms.
Fault can be shared under proportionate responsibility
Texas uses a proportionate-responsibility system in covered civil actions. A claimant generally may not recover damages when the claimant’s percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent.
When recovery is permitted, the court reduces the damages to be recovered by a percentage equal to the claimant’s percentage of responsibility. For broader national terminology, see the overview of at-fault states.
Deadlines depend on the legal claim
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003 generally provides a two-year limitations period for personal-injury and property-damage actions. The period ordinarily runs from the day the cause of action accrues.
That general rule has statutory exceptions, and other claims can use different deadlines.
Sources
- Texas Transportation Code Chapter 550
- Texas Transportation Code Chapter 601
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 16
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 33
- Texas Department of Transportation crash reports and records
- Texas Department of Insurance Consumer Bill of Rights for auto insurance
- Texas Department of Insurance guide to auto coverage
