Pre-Paid Legal Advice:

Insurance: no fault insurance in PA

By Welch, Gold & Siegel – Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a no fault car insurance state which means your insurance company must pay the medical bills for you and your passengers regardless of who caused the accident. No fault insurance is supposed to keep premiums down because there is less paperwork to file and less insurance fraud.

No fault insurance has limitations such as only paying for medical bills and lost income up to the limits of your policy. Additional pain and suffering are not covered.

This is where consulting with a lawyer knowledgeable in insurance law specifically no fault insurance law would be prudent. A lawyer can advise whether it makes sense or not to directly sue the person at fault.

Some state laws say you can sue for serious injuries such as internal injuries, severed limbs, and long term hospitalization after your insurance has been exhausted.

Also as a passenger, do you have the right to sue one or both drivers even if one of the drivers is a friend or family member?

No fault insurance, limited tort coverage and full tort coverage all come with fine print policies. Have you read your policy lately?

Do not hesitate to contact an insurance law attorney to find out what your legal options are regarding your accident. In this case, what you don't know can hurt you.