Am I still limited tort if the accident was not my fault? Is Full Tort the same as Full Coverage?

One of the most important questions that I ask my clients at our first meeting is whether their car insurance policy is full tort or limited tort. Every car insurance policy in Pennsylvania is either a full or limited tort policy. Most clients give me a puzzled look as they usually have no idea what I am talking about. Before I started representing car accident clients twenty (20) years ago, I would have been in the same position if asked that question. Before handling thousands of car accident cases, I thought tort was a dessert as opposed to a car insurance choice.

After the surprise of my question about their tort option wears off, I hear several responses such as “the accident was not my fault, the other person is responsible”. Even if the other person was at fault, it will not change the impact of your tort selection. If you selected full tort, then you are fine and can move forward with a case for all your injuries and damages. If you selected limited tort, you have actually limited yourself from being able to make a claim for any pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, or any other non-economic damages. You can only pursue economic damages such as medical expenses and lost wages. In many cases, the non-economic damages are the most significant part of the case worth the most settlement money. Worse yet, your decision to buy limited tort car insurance not only limits you, but it also limits all family members of your household from making these claims.

LIMITED TORT CAR INSURANCE CAN KILL YOUR CASE

Another common response to my question to clients about whether they have full or limited tort is “I have full coverage.” Full coverage is a benefit that you can purchase with your car insurance policy, but this benefit is for property damage and damage to your vehicle. Full coverage does not have anything to do with your ability to make a personal injury claim for the injuries and damages that you sustained in a car accident.

There are a few exceptions to make you full tort even though you purchased a limited tort car insurance policy. The attorneys at Rankin & Gregory, LLC (RG Injury Law) have handled thousands of car accident cases. We know all the exceptions and how to aggressively argue for those exceptions to apply to your case. However, you should avoid this potential problem in the first place by purchasing a full tort car insurance policy for you and your family. The cost is generally fifteen (15) to twenty (20) percent more. Given that the average person from Lancaster, Pennsylvania will be in an average of four (4) car accidents over their lifetime, it is worth the additional expense. Even one case where you are not limited by limited tort will likely make up the difference in cost.

Chad Rankin and the other attorneys Rankin & Gregory, LLC (RG Injury Law) have handled more than a thousand limited tort and full tort car accident cases against insurance companies. Call us for a no-pressure, car accident injury case consultation at 717.656.5000.

You may think you need car accident lawyers in Philadelphia to win your auto accident injury case. However, our winning record is the result of personalized attention and communication with clients, thorough knowledge of vehicle law in Pennsylvania, and experience with car insurance companies. While we call Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, our home, our PA personal injury law firm fights for clients with injuries and disabilities in need of personal injury lawyers, Social Security SSDI and SSI, and Workers’ Compensation lawyers throughout the mid-Atlantic region from offices in Lancaster County that include service in Harrisburg, Hershey, Middletown, Annville, Mt. Gretna, Elizabethtown, Columbia PA, Lancaster City, Neffsville, Hempfield Township, Manheim Borough, Manor Township, Manheim Township, Gap, Ephrata, Lititz, Leola, Mt. Joy, Marietta, Akron, Denver, Millersville, Willow Street, Strasburg, New Holland, Paradise, Refton, Rohrerstown, Quarryville, Reamstown, West Chester, Coatesville, Exton, King of Prussia, and Malvern. RG Injury Law also fights for people with injuries in the counties of Lebanon, Philadelphia, Chester, York, Dauphin, Berks, and Montgomery.