At one time most Texas automobile liability insurance policies included a so-called family member exclusion which foreclosed liability coverage for any claim made by a family member against a family member. This exclusion was included in these policies based upon the insurance industry’s argument that providing coverage for claims by family members against family members would encourage fraud and collusion. In reality, excluded coverage for that class of individuals most likely to be injured, other than yourself, in an automobile collision other family members. It was in this backdrop that the Texas Supreme Court, in 1993, took up the issue of the family member exclusion in the case of National County Mutual Fire Insurance Co. v. Johnson, 879 S.W.2d 1 (Tex. 1993).
In Johnson, a policy holder’s truck collided with another automobile. His wife, a passenger in the truck, was injured and subsequently brought suit against him for negligence. Id. The policy-holder’s insurer, however, denied his request for a defense, stating that “Endorsement 575,” a family member exclusion clause, precluded coverage for a liability claim brought by a family member such as his wife. Id. The policy-holder filed a declaratory judgment action to determine his rights under the policy, while the insurer counterclaimed, asking the court to determine whether Endorsement 575 was valid under Texas law. Id.
On appeal of an adverse judgment in the trial court against the insurer, the Texas Supreme Court held that to the extent the family member exclusion purported to deny a family member’s claim within the minimum liability insurance limits required by Texas law, such exclusion was invalid:
- Here, the Board’s approval of the family member exclusion results in a situation in which a claimant for damages resulting from an automobile accident is not allowed to recover damages under an automobile liability insurance policy that the legislature statutorily requires to protect such claimants from losses. The exclusion prevents a specific class of innocent victims, those persons related to and living with the negligent driver, from receiving financial protection under an insurance policy. Such a result is clearly contrary to the express legislative mandate. The Board’s action in approving a family member exclusion providing for such scenarios is inconsistent with the statutory purpose of the Act, and thus their approval of the exclusion is ineffective.
Id. at 3.
Hence, in Texas a family member may make a claim against a relative’s motor vehicle liability insurance for injuries received in a motor vehicle accident caused by that relatives negligence up to the minimum liability limited provided under Texas law currently $30,000 for each injured person, up to a total of $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. Despite this fact, even today insurers will sometimes purport to deny claims in their entirety under the family law exclusion. So arm yourself with the truth, and be aware that even if your automobile accident injuries were caused by the negligence of a family member, 30/60/25 coverage is still available to you as a matter of law.¹This basic coverage is referred to as 30/60/25 coverage.
