If you have been hit by an uninsured driver in Texas, the repair still gets done. What changes is who pays for it, and that depends on choices that were made on your own policy long before the crash.
Texas drivers face this more often than most people expect. According to the Insurance Information Institute, citing a 2025 Insurance Research Council study, an estimated 14.5 percent of Texas motorists were uninsured in 2023, about one driver in seven. This guide covers what to do at the scene, which coverage on your own policy can pay, how the deductible works, and how to get the car into a shop without waiting on someone who has no insurer to call.
Key Takeaways
- Call the police and get a report number, because it is the record your own insurer will lean on.
- Uninsured motorist coverage on your own policy can pay for repairs when the at-fault driver has no insurance.
- Texas insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and you only lack it if you rejected it in writing.
- Collision coverage is the fallback if you do not carry uninsured motorist property damage coverage.
- You still choose the repair shop, even when your own insurer is paying the claim.
What to Do at the Scene When the Other Driver Has No Insurance
The first minutes look the same as any crash. Move to safety if the cars can be driven, check for injuries, and call 911 if anyone is hurt. Then slow down on one step: getting information from a driver who may not want to give it.
Get the record started
Call the police and ask for an officer to come out. Under Texas Transportation Code 550.062, an officer who investigates a crash with injury or apparent property damage of 1,000 dollars or more must file a written report with TxDOT within ten days. That report is what turns “the other driver had no insurance” from your word into a documented fact.
What to collect
- The other driver’s name, phone number, and driver’s license number
- The license plate and the vehicle make, model, and color
- Whatever insurance card the driver shows, even if it looks expired
- Photos of both vehicles, the plates, and the road where it happened
- Names and numbers of any witnesses
What not to do
Do not accept cash at the scene to skip the report, and do not agree to settle it later without paperwork. Hidden damage behind a bumper cover routinely costs more than it looks, and once the other driver leaves without a report you may have no way to reach them again.
Which Coverage Pays When You Are Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Texas
When the at-fault driver has no insurance, there is no other company to file against. The claim goes to your own insurer, and what it pays depends on which coverages are on your policy.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
The Texas Department of Insurance auto insurance guide explains that uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays if you are hit by someone who did not have insurance, or did not have enough to pay your medical and car repair bills. It also pays in a hit-and-run. Texas insurers must offer it, and if you do not want it you have to tell the company in writing. If you never signed a rejection, check your declarations page before assuming you do not have it.
Collision coverage as the fallback
If you do not carry uninsured motorist property damage coverage, collision coverage on your own policy can pay for the repair instead. Both routes carry a deductible, and the TDI guide notes you pay a deductible for collision and for uninsured and underinsured motorist claims. A claim paid by another driver’s insurer would not have had a deductible, which is the real cost of being hit by someone with no coverage.
When the other driver is underinsured
Texas requires at least 30/60/25 liability coverage, which means 25,000 dollars for property damage. If the at-fault driver has only the minimum and your repair, plus anyone else’s, costs more, the TDI guide says your collision or underinsured motorist coverage should pay the difference. For scale, the Insurance Information Institute reports the average collision claim in 2024 was 5,489 dollars, and repairs on newer vehicles with sensors can run well past that.
How the Claim Moves Once You Report It
Report the crash to your own insurer as soon as you can and give them the police report number. Tell them plainly that the other driver was uninsured. Your adjuster will usually try to confirm that, which is one more reason the report matters.
From there it works like any other repair claim. The shop writes a written, itemized estimate, your insurer reviews it, and if teardown uncovers more damage the shop sends a supplement. Our guide to the collision repair supplement process walks through that stage line by line, and our overview of collision repair insurance claims in San Antonio covers the full claim sequence.
Your right to choose the shop
The TDI guide is clear that insurers may give you a list of preferred repair shops, but they cannot require you to use one. That right does not change because your own carrier is paying an uninsured motorist claim.
Can You Recover Your Deductible From the Uninsured Driver?
Sometimes. After your insurer pays, it may pursue the at-fault driver to recover what it paid, and if it recovers money your deductible can be part of that. With a driver who had no insurance, collection is often slow or never happens, so plan on paying the deductible at the shop and treat any recovery as a bonus.
If you are weighing whether to file at all on a small repair, our guide on whether to pay out of pocket or file an insurance claim lays out how to compare the deductible with the repair cost.
Rental Cars and Injuries After an Uninsured Driver Crash
The TDI guide notes your insurer will pay for a rental if you have uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and the driver who caused the crash had no insurance or not enough, or if you carry rental reimbursement coverage. Medical bills can run through personal injury protection, which every Texas policy includes unless it was rejected in writing.
Injuries are outside what a body shop handles. If anyone was hurt, get checked by a doctor first and talk to your insurer about medical coverage separately from the repair.
How 360 Collision Helps After an Uninsured Driver Crash
Our part starts when you are ready to fix the car:
- A free written, itemized estimate with the damage photographed panel by panel
- Direct communication with your own adjuster on an uninsured motorist or collision claim
- Supplements documented with photos when teardown finds hidden damage
- Structural checks through our frame repair service, plus ADAS calibration when sensors are involved
- I-CAR Gold Class training, ASE technicians, and a lifetime warranty on every repair
360 Collision is at 8803 Oakland Rd in San Antonio. Start with a free written estimate through our contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get to safety, check for injuries, and call the police so an officer can file a crash report. Then collect the other driver’s name, license, plate, and photos of both vehicles before anyone leaves.
It is strongly recommended. The report documents that the other driver was at fault and uninsured, which is what your own insurer relies on when it pays an uninsured motorist claim.
It is safer to decline. Hidden damage behind a bumper or panel often costs more than it looks, and without a report you may have no way to reach that driver again.
Call the police right away and report it to your insurer. Texas uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage also pays in a hit-and-run, according to the Texas Department of Insurance.
Your own policy. Uninsured motorist property damage coverage pays first if you have it. If not, collision coverage can pay for the repair. Either way, a deductible usually applies.
Texas insurers must offer it, and you only lack it if you rejected it in writing. Check the declarations page of your policy or ask your agent to confirm.
Usually yes. The Texas Department of Insurance notes a deductible applies to collision and to uninsured and underinsured motorist claims. Your insurer may try to recover it from the at-fault driver later.
Texas minimum liability is 30/60/25, which includes 25,000 dollars for property damage. If repairs cost more, your collision or underinsured motorist coverage should pay the difference.
Yes. Insurers may suggest preferred shops, but Texas does not let them require you to use one. That holds when your own carrier is paying the claim.
It can if you carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and the at-fault driver had no insurance or not enough, or if you have rental reimbursement coverage.
Repair time depends on the damage, parts, and claim approval, not on who caused the crash. Many repairs take from several days to a couple of weeks, and hidden damage can add time.
Yes. We write the free written, itemized estimate, document hidden damage with photos, and communicate directly with your adjuster on uninsured motorist and collision claims.
Hit by an Uninsured Driver? Start With a Free Estimate
Bring the car to 8803 Oakland Rd. We document the damage, work with your own adjuster, and handle the supplements.
Schedule Free EstimateOr call us: (210) 405-8817
