Should I Choose Full Tort or Limited Tort
My insurance agent told me that I will save money on my auto insurance if I choose Limited Tort. I don’t understand what that means. I thought I had “full coverage”. Should I select Full or Limited Tort?
What an insurance company may call “full coverage” is not always full protection. Insist on Full Tort. This is the unlimited right to sue for pain and suffering. Limited Tort can limit this right so that you cannot bring a claim for anything other than your economic losses, such as the damage to your car, your lost wages, and your medical expenses. There are a few exceptions to Limited Tort. If you select Limited Tort you can still bring a claim for pain and suffering in the following circumstances:
- If the injury suffered is a severe disfigurement, a serious impairment of a bodily function or death
- If the person at fault is convicted or accepts ARD for driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance in the accident
- If the person at fault is operating a motor vehicle registered in another state
- If the injured person was injured while an occupant of a motor vehicle other than a private passenger motor vehicle; such as a motorcycle, bus, taxi, or work vehicle.
If you select Limited Tort, you are making a selection that affects your rights, your household members rights and your children’s rights before an accident even happens. You may save a few dollars now in premium expenses while in the event of a future accident you will have no right to compensation for pain and suffering.
My advice is to purchase as much insurance as you can afford. You are paying to insure yourself and your family and making sure that you are fully compensated if you are hurt by someone else’s negligence.
Even if you can only afford the minimum insurance required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, choose Full Tort coverage. Don’t give away your rights.