What are The Limitations of Auto Insurance Policies in Pennsylvania?
If you have the misfortune to be injured in an auto accident in Pennsylvania, any auto insurance you may have might be limited when it comes to making a claim. A knowledgeable Limited Tort attorney can assist you to understand your insurance cover and help you to pursue compensation for your injuries.
You shouldnt just take what your insurer tells you or put your signature to any papers until you have sought the help of a lawyer. You may only have Limited Tort cover but that doesnt mean there are not some circumstances when you are able to claim compensation.
Hiring a Limited Tort Lawyer
Limited Tort insurance can be bought more cheaply than Full Tort because it restricts the sorts of damages you are able to recover in a lawsuit. If you have Limited Tort cover, it might only be possible for you to make a claim for pain and suffering if your injury is serious. For example if you have been paralyzed or lost a limb or more. Full Tort cover, however, allows an injured victim to make a claim for pain and suffering for any type of injury.
The term serious injury is not easily definable and is often interpreted differently between counties in Pennsylvania. The law has defined a serious injury as a significant limitation of any bodily function. Often, one specific court might find a fracture to the skull does not quite match this definition, while a court somewhere else may discover that it is a serious injury.
If you are uncertain about these confusions with definitions of a serious injury then you should seek advice from a Limited Tort lawyer to find out if the injury you have will meet the serious injury criteria. Most Limited Tort attorneys can offer a full assessment of your insurance situation and advise you on the next step you should take to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
What are Limited Tort Exceptions?
If your Limited Tort cover on your vehicle insurance and the injuries you have sustained does not match the threshold, it may be possible to file a claim related to pain and suffering in certain circumstances which could include.
- A collision with an intoxicated driver
- Occupying a seat in a commercially operated vehicle
- A collision with a vehicle that is registered in another state
- A collision with a motorcyclist, pedestrian or bicyclist.
The vast majority of people fail to realize that these exceptions with Limited Tort do exist. It is only through the help of a Limited Tort attorney that you can be certain that these exceptions do apply to your situation.
What is Full Tort Coverage ?
You might think you have “full cover”, however that is not necessarily the same as Full Tort coverage. Having full coverage normally means an insurance company will pay out to repair or replace a vehicle if it has been damaged or stolen. The aim of Full Tort cover is to give added protection if you are inflicted with an injury.
You are permitted to file a claim for damages, which includes:
- Expenses related to the injury
- Pain and suffering in the past, present and future
- Emotional upheaval due to the injury
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
If you want to ensure you are fully covered in the event of an injury, a lawyer can offer you the truth and sound advice when choosing insurance cover. It might be more costly to choose Full Tort cover but if you have sustained an injury and you are unable to put in a full days work for many months then you can put in a claim for compensation that will fully cover your needs while at home recovering.
Our law office recommends that all our clients take out Full Tort coverage so that no one using the same insurance policy is disadvantaged when it comes to making a personal injury claim.