Quite a few years back, the state of Pennsylvania decided to give their citizens the choice to purchase “Full” or “Limited” Tort on their Pennsylvania auto insurance policies. At the time, the state enacted an automatic “rollback” of all the rates for every insurance company of 10% !! Oh my gosh, you had to be there !! Being “inside” the business, it was quite comical watching all the crying and complaining going on within the insurance industry. Think about it…that meant all of us commissioned agents would be getting a 10% pay cut…the big companies would be losing 10% of their revenue…ohh, there was a big scale pity party on the horizon! More on that later.
Let’s get back to the tort thing…
Among some other insignificant changes, the new pennsylvania Act 6 regulation permitted you to “limit” your right to recover for pain and suffering. What’s pain and suffering ? In laymans terms…it’s having extra money in the bank after all your expenses have been paid ! Choosing the “limited tort” option limits your right to sue for pain and suffering to cases of serious and permanent injury. Well now, it doesn’t take a lawyer to realize that to some people a “hangnail” is “serious and permanent” but the state of pennsylvania decided the courts would work it all out. It seems that over the last ten years or so there have been challenges to the definition but unless you suffered facial scarring, back injury, broken bones that are “weight bearing” or other permanent injury you aren’t collecting any “fun money” for your injuries. You still receive reimbursement for any “out of pocket” expenses.
You want the Full Tort or the strawberry tort?
You want to protect the rights of your family and yourself ? You want to keep every option open? You want to be able to sue in the case of any bodily injury…including a nosebleed? Then you have only one option…You want Full Tort. This provision not only entitles you to recover for “pain and suffering” it requirs the insurer of the “at fault” driver to contact YOU and make an offer for your suffering. Wow, that’s easy! You will be contacted by the other insurer and offered a settlement amount…even if you didn’t want to sue. Any wonder why this option averages close to 15% higher premiums !!
Well…schools out for today. Let’s hope you make an informed decision when you purchase or update your pennsylvania auto insurance policy.
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