If you are a driver in the state of Pennsylvania, you are required by law to have insurance on your vehicle. How much insurance do you need, and what type? Those are important questions to understand so that you can meet the requirements of the law, and the following guide will help you sort it out.
Bodily injury and property damage
Like most states, Pennsylvania requires that drivers carry insurance for bodily injury and property damage. The minimum amount of insurance you must carry to pay for medical expenses of a person injured in an accident that you caused is $15,000 per person, or $30,000 per accident.
You are also required to carry at least $5000 in insurance per accident to pay for property damages that may result from an accident you caused.
Your medical expenses
Pennsylvania is one of 12 states in the country known as “no fault” states. In no fault states, drivers are required to carry insurance to cover their own medical expenses in the event of an accident, whether it was caused by them or the other party. This is called first-party benefits, and PA mandates a minimum of $5000 in coverage per accident to cover the insured driver’s medical expenses.
Uninsured and underinsured motorists
Insurance coverage for uninsured motorists and underinsured motorist is not required in Pennsylvania, but if you choose not to carry it, you have to request in writing that you wish to opt out. This insurance provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for you, anyone on your policy, and your passengers in the event you are in an accident that is caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist. If you do not opt out of this coverage, the minimum amount in PA is $15,000 per person, or $30,000 per accident.
Additional Coverage
Some drivers choose additional coverage beyond the minimum required by Pennsylvania state law. This can mean opting for higher amounts of coverage for bodily injury, property damage, first-party expenses, and uninsured/underinsured motorists, but it can also mean choosing additional types of coverage that are not required at all. We’ll go into these types of insurance in more detail in a future article, but some examples include income loss and accidental death.
Speak with a trusted insurance agent today about how to get coverage that meets the legal requirements and your budget!