AUTO INSURANCE ADVICE FOR PENNSYLVANIA DRIVERS

AUTO INSURANCE ADVICE FOR PENNSYLVANIA DRIVERS

When selecting options available to you in a Pennsylvania automobile insurance policy, pay close attention to the "full tort" and "limited tort" coverage options. The difference in cost between the two is often not significant, but if you are involved in an auto accident, you will find that the difference in coverages is very significant.

A full tort election enables you to recover for economic damages (all medical and property damage bills, loss of earnings, and certain related out of pocket expenses) plus all non-economic damages. Significantly, non-economic damages include payment for pain and suffering.

The limited tort option covers non-economic damages only under special circumstance primarily if you have been severely and permanently injured or disfigured. So unless these (or some other limited circumstances) apply, your pain and suffering are not taken into account. So we recommend that you carefully weigh your options before selecting your tort option.

Another automobile insurance option to consider seriously is uninsured coverage. If you do not select uninsured coverage and are involved in an auto accident with an uninsured vehicle, you likely will have great difficulty recovering (a) any economic or non-economic damages, (b) money for property damage to your vehicle, and (c) any money for your medical costs over your own coverage (typically $5,000.00). Considering the huge number of uninsured drivers, this is an option you should also strongly consider.

If you have any questions about your insurance coverage or have been involved in an auto accident and need representation, please call us for a free consultation.      


                                                                            PROTECT YOURSELF IN CASE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT

It's important to make good decisions when situations happen which could lead to legal action. The following are some "does and don'ts" that can make a big difference in your outcome. 

When you are involved in any vehicle incident:
Do get the license plate numbers of all vehicles involved. A driver’s license, insurance information, name, address, or telephone number given to you or even to police officers may be incorrect or out of date. This may be done on purpose or may be due to illegible handwriting, transposed letters or numbers, or even a pen that does not write well! The unfortunate result of these errors is the same: it may be difficult or impossible to find the responsible party even using a good private investigator.
Do call the police to the scene and do get the police officers’ names.
Do take photos! Photograph the scene, visible injuries, and the vehicles involved.
Do not give any statements to any one other than the police.
Do not talk to the other party’s insurance company.