Full Tort V. Limited Tort: What Does It Mean?
November 21, 2019 • By Jessica L. Torres
It is extremely tempting to select whatever options result in the cheapest auto insurance premiums, especially when you have just paid a lot of money for a car. It’s not like you want this insurance. You are getting it because it is required in Pennsylvania.
This pesky insurance that nobody wants, however, could be your best friend if you are involved in a car accident. This is when you usually learn all about those selections you made when you first obtained insurance. Unfortunately, at this point it is too late.
One of the selections you will make when purchasing insurance is the type of tort – full or limited. This is one of the most important selections you will make. Limited tort means that your recovery is limited to medical expenses actually incurred, wage loss, and property damage. Full tort, on the other hand, covers all these costs and further covers pain and suffering. Pain and suffering is not only physical but also psychological.
While selecting limited tort greatly limits your recovery, there are ways to overcome that bar. Some situations in which you could recover for pain and suffering as if you had selected the full tort option include the following:
- You have sustained a serious injury.
- The person causing the accident was driving under the influence.
- The vehicle of the person at fault was registered in another state.
- The person at fault has not maintained financial responsibility.
Again, these are only some of the exceptions where you could recover as if you had selected the full tort option. Section 1705 of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code contains a full list of these exceptions.
Save yourself from hoping you fall under an exception or from falling into a financial hole and select the full tort option today. If you have already made the limited tort selection, call your insurance agent and request the change. The difference in price is often not significant.
Nobody wants accidents to happen. Unfortunately, they are very common. Put yourself and your family in the best position you can be by making the correct selection today.