Too often, our firm talks with people who have been injured in car accidents in Philadelphia, New Jersey, or the surrounding counties, who tell us they have “full coverage.” When asked how they know they have full coverage, they all say the same thing: “that is what my insurer told me.”
The problem is that many insurers do not take the time to explain to people exactly what it is they are purchasing when they pay for an insurance premium. Too often, it is only after someone has been injured in a car accident and is able to sit down with a personal injury lawyer, that they find out their coverage is far from “full.”
First off, just because you are told you have “full coverage,” does not mean you have full tort. This is a common misconception that insurers allow their policy-holders to assume. Drivers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have the right to choose full or limited tort auto insurance policies.
The difference between the two is very important for drivers to understand: Full tort allows a driver injured in a car accident to recover money for pain and suffering. It is as simple as that. Limited tort only allows a driver who is injured in a car accident to recover money for pain and suffering if it can be proven that the person’s injuries are considered “serious.” Read our blog entry on Limited Tort for more information.
Underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage is very important for a person injured in a car accident to have. Here is the scenario: a responsible driver is involved in a bad car accident that was the other driver’s fault. The responsible driver sustains serious injuries, but the other driver has either minimal insurance coverage or no insurance at all, leaving the responsible driver injured from the car accident, and injured a second time by the other driver’s lack of coverage.
Underinsured motorist coverage allows a person injured in a car accident to recover money damages from his or her own insurance company if the insurance company of the opposing driver who caused the injuries does not provide enough coverage.
Uninsured motorist coverage allows a person injured in a car accident to recover for money damages from his or her own insurance company is the opposing driver has no insurance at all.
Whether you are driving in Philadelphia, Bucks County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Chester County, or New Jersey, without safeguards like full tort coverage or uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, you risk being injured in a car accident but not having the proper protection in place to compensate you fully.
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