Texas requires every driver on the road to carry at least 30/60/25 liability coverage: $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. It’s the legal floor — not a recommendation, and definitely not a plan.
Here’s the math that catches people off guard. The average cost of a modern SUV or truck repair after a moderate collision in San Antonio routinely runs $8,000–$15,000. A single ER visit after an at-fault accident can blow past $25,000 before any follow-up care. If you’re driving Loop 410 or I-10 during rush hour with only the state minimum, one bad afternoon can leave you personally on the hook for everything above your policy limit — your savings, your wages, sometimes your home equity, through a judgment.
Why Bexar County drivers specifically carry more risk
San Antonio’s combination of heavy commuter traffic, frequent hailstorms, and a growing population means more cars on the road and more claims filed per capita than in a lot of comparable Texas metros. Add in higher medical costs at San Antonio’s major trauma centers, and the gap between “legal minimum” and “actually covered” gets wider every year.
What most local drivers actually carry instead
We typically recommend Bexar County clients look at 100/300/100 as a realistic working minimum — and higher if you have meaningful assets to protect or a newer vehicle with a loan balance. It’s a modest jump in premium for a significant jump in protection. Two other coverages worth a second look:
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) — Texas has one of the higher rates of uninsured drivers in the country. If the other driver has no coverage (or not enough), UM/UIM is what actually pays your bills.
- Gap insurance — if you’re financing or leasing, this covers the difference between what your car is worth and what you still owe if it’s totaled.
The bottom line
Minimum liability keeps you legal. It doesn’t keep you protected. The right number depends on what you drive, what you own, and how much risk you’re comfortable carrying yourself — which is exactly the kind of conversation a five-minute call settles better than a generic quote form.