Motor vehicle insurance is a necessary part of legally owning a vehicle in Pennsylvania. When an individual chooses to buy insurance, they can opt to purchase limited tort insurance or full tort insurance. The distinction may not seem like a lot, but if the driver is involved in a serious motor vehicle crash, it may make a huge difference in their ability to recover their losses.
This post will look at limited tort and full tort insurance. It will outline some of the reasons that limited tort policies may be insufficient to meet victims’ needs. No part of this post is offered as legal advice, and when an individual suffers losses in a motor vehicle accident, they can choose to contact their trusted personal injury attorneys for advice on how to address their possible claims.
What is full tort insurance?
A tort is an event giving rise to a personal injury, and motor vehicle accidents are torts. Every year, many people are hurt and killed in collisions on Pennsylvania roadways. When they suffer harm, they can turn to their insurance policies to seek compensation for their losses that were suffered due to other drivers’ negligence. Damages can include victims’ medical bills and lost wages. They can also include pain, suffering, and other intangible forms of harm.
Full tort insurance gives victims the right to pursue all forms of losses from motor vehicle accidents, including those for pain and suffering. Individuals who choose to carry full tort insurance pay higher premiums than individuals who have limited tort insurance. However, the extra cost of full tort insurance does give individuals important rights when it comes to the recovery of their losses.
What is limited tort insurance?
As readers can probably guess, limited tort insurance is a lesser form of insurance. Like full tort insurance, limited tort insurance allows victims to seek their actual, quantifiable damages from motor vehicle accidents. Anything a victim would have to pay out of pocket may be compensated with limited tort insurance. However, limited tort insurance does not give a victim the right to sue for their intangible losses, and this limitation may prevent needy victims from being fully compensated for the full extent of their suffering.
Individuals must weigh the literal and potential costs of limited and full tort insurance before they decide what type of insurance they will carry. Each has appealing aspects that can alter victims’ rights when they are involved in roadway accidents. When victims have questions about what they may seek as damages after motor vehicle accidents based on their insurance, they can turn to their trusted personal injury attorneys for help.