By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
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Split limits and combined single limits
The Texas Department of Insurance defines liability limits as “the maximum amount your liability policy will pay” (TDI glossary). Personal auto policies often show them as three numbers, such as 30/60/15. The California Department of Insurance calls these split limits, because coverage “can be split (limited) per person, per occurrence, between bodily and property damage” (CDI insurance guide).
Read 30/60/15 this way: up to $30,000 for one injured person, up to $60,000 for all injured people in one crash, and up to $15,000 for property damage. A combined single limit works differently. CDI describes it as bodily injury and property damage liability “expressed as a single sum,” which is common on business auto policies.
| Example only | 30/60/15 split limits | $100,000 combined single limit |
|---|---|---|
| Three people hurt, $40,000 in injuries each | Each person capped at $30,000, and the three share $60,000 | Up to $100,000 for everyone, injuries and property combined |
| One person hurt, $80,000 in injuries | $30,000 | Up to $80,000, if no other claims use the limit |
Round, made-up numbers. The real result depends on the policy wording and every claim made against the same limit.
State minimums are only a floor
| State | Minimum liability limits | Law |
|---|---|---|
| California | $30,000 per person, $60,000 per crash, $15,000 property, for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025; these rise by $20,000, $40,000 and $10,000 for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2035 | Veh. Code 16056 |
| Texas | $30,000 per person, $60,000 per crash, $25,000 property | Transp. Code 601.072 |
| Washington | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, $10,000 property | RCW 46.29.090; RCW 46.30.020 |
A driver can buy more than the minimum, so the minimum tells you only the least that should exist. Commercial trucks follow separate federal rules, covered on our page about truck insurance minimums.
What you can learn at the scene
Each state requires drivers in a crash to share insurance details, but none of these rules asks for the limits. In California, a driver insured by a policy must give the insurer’s name and address and the policy number (Veh. Code 16025). In Texas, the driver must give the name of the motor vehicle liability insurer (Transp. Code 550.023). In Washington, a driver in an injury crash must give the insurance company and the policy number (RCW 46.52.020). Get those details and a photo of the insurance card, because the claim starts there.
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Before a lawsuit: asking the insurer
With the insurer’s name and policy number, your lawyer sends a written request for the bodily injury limits. Some insurers answer and some refuse. We found no statute in these three states that makes them answer, so the request is a starting point.
California’s time-limited demand law gives a claimant a formal way to make an offer. The demand must include “a clear and unequivocal offer to settle all claims within policy limits” along with proof of the claim (CCP 999.1). An insurer that does not accept must notify the claimant in writing of its decision and the basis for it before the demand expires (CCP 999.3). Neither section requires the insurer to state the amount of coverage.
After a lawsuit: the limits come out in discovery
| State | Rule | What it reaches |
|---|---|---|
| California | CCP 2017.210; Form Interrogatory 4.1 (DISC-001) | The identity of the carrier and “the nature and limits of the coverage”; the form interrogatory asks for the limits of each type of coverage |
| Texas | Tex. R. Civ. P. 194.2 | Required initial disclosures include “any indemnity and insuring agreements,” generally due within 30 days after the first answer |
| Washington | CR 26(b)(2) | The existence and contents of any insurance agreement that may pay a judgment, plus documents affecting coverage |
Washington’s rule adds that information about the insurance agreement is not admissible at trial just because it was disclosed.
Umbrella policies and your own coverage
The at-fault driver may also have an umbrella policy. CDI describes an umbrella as coverage for “the amount of loss above the limits of a basic liability policy,” and notes that umbrellas usually do not pay from the first dollar. Ask whether one exists whenever injuries are serious.
Your own underinsured motorist coverage can fill part of the gap. In California it applies only when the other vehicle is insured for less than your own uninsured motorist limits, and only after the at-fault policies have been paid out through judgments or settlements and you send proof of payment. Your insurer then owes no more than your limit minus what was paid by or for the people legally responsible (Ins. Code 11580.2(p)). Example only: with a $100,000 underinsured limit and a $30,000 payment from the other driver’s insurer, the most your policy would owe is $70,000.
Washington defines an underinsured vehicle by comparing all applicable liability limits with the damages you are legally entitled to recover, and requires the coverage in the same amount as your liability coverage unless you rejected it in writing (RCW 48.22.030). Texas policies include the coverage unless a named insured rejected it in writing (Ins. Code 1952.101). See making a UIM claim before you accept any limits offer.
What this means for your case
- Photograph the other driver’s insurance card and license at the scene.
- Find your own declarations page and note your liability, uninsured and underinsured limits.
- Report the crash to your insurer and tell it you may make an underinsured claim.
- Do not sign a release for the other driver’s limits until your lawyer checks your own policy.
Low limits shape what a case can realistically collect, as our $25,000 settlement page shows. For Texas coverage rules, including PIP, see is Texas a no-fault state. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou.
Common questions
Does the other driver's insurance company have to tell me the policy limits?
We found no statute in California, Texas or Washington that requires it before a lawsuit. Many insurers will answer a written request, and after suit the limits are discoverable.
What does 30/60/25 mean on a Texas policy?
Up to $30,000 for one injured person, $60,000 for everyone hurt in the crash, and $25,000 for property damage.
What information does the other driver have to give me after a crash?
California and Washington require the insurer and policy number. Texas requires the name of the liability insurer. None of them requires the driver to state the limits.
Can I collect more than the at-fault driver's limits?
Possibly, from your own underinsured coverage or from the driver personally. Collecting from a person can be hard, so a lawyer checks every policy first.
Will the jury hear how much insurance the driver had?
In Washington, the civil rule says disclosing insurance information in discovery does not make it admissible at trial. Beverly Law offers a free case review in English or Spanish at (310) 552-6959. You owe no fees or costs unless we win. Find more answers in our injury law FAQs.
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Related pages
Sources
- California Department of Insurance, Commercial Insurance Guide (glossary: combined single limit, split limits, umbrella) (insurance.ca.gov)
- Texas Department of Insurance, Auto Insurance Glossary (tdi.texas.gov)
- Cal. Vehicle Code 16056 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Tex. Transportation Code 601.072 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- RCW 46.29.090 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 46.30.020 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Cal. Vehicle Code 16025 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Tex. Transportation Code 550.023 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- RCW 46.52.020 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Cal. Code of Civil Procedure 999.1 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Cal. Code of Civil Procedure 999.3 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Cal. Code of Civil Procedure 2017.210 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Judicial Council of California, Form Interrogatories, General (DISC-001) (courts.ca.gov)
- Tex. R. Civ. P. 194.2 (South Texas College of Law Houston, Texas Rules Project) (stcl.edu)
- Washington Superior Court Civil Rule 26 (courts.wa.gov)
- Cal. Insurance Code 11580.2 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- RCW 48.22.030 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Tex. Insurance Code 1952.101 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 7, 2026.