Pennsylvania drivers should all be aware of the fact that state law requires you to carry minimum amounts of insurance while you’re out on the road. This requirement is in place to help ensure that damages sustained in a car accident are always covered. That is why all Pennsylvania drivers must carry proof of car insurance and a driver’s license.
If you are caught without the requisite auto insurance coverage, there are penalties you will face. Penalties include upwards of $300 in fines as well as the suspension of your driver’s license, registration, and license plate for up to 3 months. You will also incur fees associated with the restoration of your driver’s license and vehicle registration. In some cases, your vehicle may be impounded.
Car Insurance Requirements in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s minimum auto insurance coverage requirements are unique. In fact, Pennsylvania is only one of 12 states that have adopted no-fault auto insurance. This type of insurance requires insurers to pay the medical expenses of their own covered drivers regardless of who is at fault in causing an accident.
These no-fault benefits are also referred to as “first-party benefits” and “medical benefits.” If you are injured in an accident, your insurance coverage will pay out these benefits even if you are at fault in causing an accident. In Pennsylvania, you are required to carry a minimum of $5,000 in first-party benefits. You may opt for higher limits.
In addition to first-party benefits, you are required to carry bodily injury liability coverage in the amount of $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident. Bodily injury coverage comes into play should you injure someone else in a car accident you cause. The coverage will pay for things such as the injured person’s medical bills and rehabilitation costs, among other damages for which you are found liable. You must also carry a minimum of $5,000 in property damage liability coverage that will cover any property damage someone sustains in an accident you cause.
Finally, there is uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage. Pennsylvania requires that you have $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident in uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage unless you explicitly reject the coverage. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage applies to you and your passengers for bodily injury expenses should you be hit by an at-fault uninsured or underinsured motorist. Underinsured means the other driver did not carry enough bodily injury liability coverage to fully compensate you for the harm caused. This type of coverage does not apply to property damage. You may also opt to stack this coverage, which allows you to multiply the coverage by the number of vehicles you have insured under the policy.
Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorneys
The required auto insurance in Pennsylvania is meant to protect you and others on the road in the case that there are injuries resulting from an auto accident. If you have been hurt in an auto accident caused by someone else, talk to the trusted personal injury Attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy. We fight for our clients to get the money they are legally entitled to when they have suffered due to someone else’s negligence. Contact us today.
