Pennsylvania Auto Insurance: Limited Tort vs. Full Tort

Required minimum under Pennsylvania law:

• Limited Tort

Our law firm's recommended minimum:

• Full Tort

Which tort option would you choose on your Pennsylvania auto insurance policy - Limited Tort or Full Tort? If you are confused by Pennsylvania's auto insurance law and don't understand the difference between Full Tort and Limited Tort, you're not alone. Let's take a look at each option:

LIMITED TORT
With Limited Tort, you give up the right to receive compensation for pain and suffering if you are injured in a car accident in Pennsylvania. If you have never been injured in an auto accident, you may not realize the pain and suffering that a person goes through. Car wrecks can lead to injuries and long-term disabilities that last for months or even years.

Many people are unfamiliar with insurance jargon and don't understand what it really means to have Limited Tort auto insurance. They choose Limited Tort because they believe that:

• it saves them a few dollars (approximately 15% on their premiums)
• they'll never be injured in a car accident

Did you know that by choosing Limited Tort, you sacrifice full protection for you and your family members who are covered under your car insurance policy? Limited Tort not only puts you and your family at risk in your own car, but it even applies when you or your children are injured as passengers in someone else's car or even as a pedestrian.

There are some rare and strict exceptions to Limited Tort that would enable you to collect money for pain and suffering under limited circumstances.

But our law firm has talked to injured people who have chosen Limited Tort on their auto policy. Even though they have been seriously injured in car crashes, they were unable to collect money for their pain and suffering. Read some of their Limited Tort horror stories to see how choosing Limited Tort over Full Tort hurt them in the long run.

Attorney Edgar Snyder weighed in on the car insurance debate with a Limited Tort vs. Full Tort letter to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published July 20, 2004. He responded to an article from the newspaper's "On the Money" column, disagreeing with the paper's suggestion to go with Limited Tort just because it saves a few bucks.

FULL TORT
With Full Tort, you are allowed under law to seek money for your pain and suffering due to any injury you receive in an auto accident. This is, of course, provided that someone else is at fault for the accident.

Choosing Full Tort on your policy instead of Limited Tort does cost a little more on your car insurance premium, but it could mean thousands of dollars to you if you are injured in an auto accident. Having additional money to help you through a difficult time in your life is well worth the investment today.