Every year, thousands of teens across the state cram for their driver’s manual test. They practice with their parents to pass the driver’s test. If they pass, they will join the other 9,133,540 licensed drivers (according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation) who are ready to hit the road. However, before those new drivers and every other driver turn the ignition in their cars, they must be insured.
Insurance Requirements
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department mandates that if you want to be a legal driver in the state, you must purchase car insurance. They refer to this as “financial responsibility.” Those insurance mandates come with minimum policy requirements that support Pennsylvania’s no-fault policy.
Here are the minimum insurance requirements:
Bodily Injury Liability – $15,000/$30,000
If you are at fault in an accident and the other motorist is injured, this part of your policy pays for their coverage. The first $15,000 is for one person, and the $30,000 represents the total for one accident.
Property Damage Liability – $5,000
This coverage would pay for repairs or replacement if you damaged a driver’s car or other property in an accident.
Those parts of your insurance policy provide coverage if you are at fault in an accident. Because every driver must carry this type of insurance, it means that their insurance will be in place to cover your injuries and damage if you’re not at fault in the accident.
Personal Injury Protection
The state also requires you to carry personal injury protection (PIP). This policy directly covers your medical bills regardless of who is at fault. The minimum amount of this coverage is $5,000. However, you can raise the amount of coverage for a higher premium price.
With PIP, you have to consider your personal health insurance. Some health insurance policies will “take over” the expenses for injuries once you have used up the $5,000. However, not all health insurance policies do this.
Uninsured or Underinsured Drivers
Even though the law mandates that drivers carry insurance, not every driver does. They could have a policy that lapses or think they don’t need it. This is why you should consider adding an uninsured or underinsured driver policy to your policy. That is like having a backup policy, but it is only used if that type of driver causes the accident.
Full Tort versus Limited Tort
Additionally, you have the option to get full tort or limited tort insurance. A limited tort policy has lower premiums, but it might not provide you with the kind of coverage that would help out in a severe accident. Here are the differences to consider:
Full Tort
In addition to all your economic damages, you might also incur noneconomic damages. These would include all the costs associated with your pain and suffering. It covers the kind of losses for which there aren’t any receipts. With full tort coverage, you can seek out these kinds of losses, and there are no limits to what types of injuries you can sue for.
Limited Tort
A limited tort insurance policy means you can only seek reimbursement for your economic damages. Those damages are for “serious injury.” However, there is a concern that some insurance companies create a high standard for what they consider a serious injury. Some policies won’t pay for multiple broken bones.
A few exceptions exist for seeking those additional damages with a limited tort policy. For instance, if the person who is designated as the at-fault party was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you could sue for those damages. You can also be reimbursed if the at-fault party is driving a car registered in another state or causes the accident intentionally.
Getting Help for Your Accident Claim
As a responsible driver, you will have the right insurance in place, but that doesn’t prevent you from the actions of a negligent driver. If you find yourself the victim of a car accident, you’ll want to contact Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan. We are a team of skilled attorneys with decades of combined experience in helping our clients find a fair remedy for their losses. When we take on a case, we make it a priority and carry it through to the finish line.
Call to set up a free consultation to talk about your accident today.