Pennsylvania Auto Insurance Quotes and
Coverage Guide
Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Insurance
Questions & AnswersQ: Is
auto insurance mandatory?
A: Yes. Although it's the home of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and known as the Christmas Tree
Capital of the World, Pennsylvania still has its
share of auto-insurance shirkers. The Keystone State
therefore requires all Pennsylvania motor vehicle
owners to maintain vehicle liability insurance
(financial responsibility) on a currently registered
vehicle. Vehicle liability insurance covers the
property damage or injuries you may cause when you
are still in football mode on the way home from
watching the Steelers’ game, and your car tackles
the driver beside you with the Christmas tree on his
car roof.
Q: Is Pennsylvania a "no-fault" state?
A: Pennsylvania lets you choose between
insuring yourself under the tort system or the
no-fault (also known as “limited tort”) system.
Under the full-tort system, the Christmas-tree guy
can sue the cleats right off your feet. Under the
limited-tort system, he can sue for direct expenses
– like what you did to his car and his tree – but
not for non-economic damages, like "pain and
suffering," unless injuries are very serious – like
the tree poked out his eye.
Whichever type you choose, Pennsylvania auto
insurance law requires you to carry liability and
medical benefits coverages. Liability minimums are
15/30/5. For all the jocks-in-their-own-mind drivers
out there, that's $15,000 per person for injuries
you cause to the other party, up to 30,000 for all,
and $5,000 for any damage that you cause to the
other driver's car and/or Christmas tree.
Medical benefits coverage of at least $5,000 is also
required, so that in the event you get hurt, too,
like when the Christmas tree goes right through your
windshield and pokes YOU in the eye, your policy
will help pay for the cost of your injuries,
regardless of who was at fault.
Q: What type of insurance is required to purchase
and maintain a Pennsylvania tag and registration?
A: In order to register your vehicle(s), you
are required to have liability insurance in the
following amounts:
-- $15,000 for injury or death of one person in an
accident
-- $30,000 for injury or death of more than one
person in an accident
-- $5,000 for damage to the property of another
person
Documents such as a valid insurance identification
card, declaration page of an insurance policy, a
copy of a valid binder, or a copy of an application
for insurance to the Pennsylvania Assigned Risk Plan
for all of the vehicles you will be registering will
be needed. These documents must indicate both
effective and expiration dates – not the Steelers’
game schedule.
Q: What if I fail to keep insurance on my vehicle
that I’ve registered in Pennsylvania?
A: If your motor vehicle is not insured with
liability insurance, you could face the following
penalties and expenses:
-- A minimum of $300 fine for driving uninsured
-- A three-month suspension of your vehicle
registration
-- A three-month suspension of your driver’s license
-- $50 restoration fee to restore your vehicle
registration
-- $50 restoration fee to restore your driver’s
license
-- That vehicle may not be driven by anyone while
the registration is suspended.
-- You may be forced to sell Christmas trees during
Steelers’ games.
Q: I changed insurance companies. Will my new
insurance company notify the Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation (PennDOT)?
A: No. Insurance companies are NOT required
by law to notify PennDOT when a vehicle owner
acquires a new policy. It is the vehicle owner’s
responsibility. Whaddya think? They’re too busy
watching the Steelers.
Q: What if I cancel liability insurance on my
vehicle because the vehicle is in storage, not
running, or in the garage for repairs?
A: Send your registration plate, sticker, and
card into PennDOT immediately upon canceling
insurance, right after the Steelers’ game.
Q: What if I junked the vehicle and cancelled the
insurance?
A: If you weren’t watching the Steelers all
the time and actually took the trouble to find out
you need a salvage certificate, send a copy of it to
your insurance company indicating the new owner.
Otherwise, be prepared for a note from the PennDot
warning you of penalties from not having any
insurance.
Q: How can I own a vehicle and not need
insurance?
A: The only way you can legally own a vehicle
and not have insurance on it is to obtain an
Application for Non-repairable or Salvage
Certificate from the Pennsylvania Driver & Vehicle
Services or download the form at http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/forms/index.shtml.
Fill it out, sign it, and have it notarized, then
send it in with any applicable fee to the address
located on the top left-hand corner of the form. And
then you can go back to that Steelers’ game.
|
Check out our brand new,
extensive and complete
Auto Insurance Guide
|
