What is full coverage insurance in Pennsylvania?

If you’re at fault in a car accident, your liability insurance pays for the other driver’s car repairs and will likely cover any doctor’s bills if they’re injured. No-fault states are the exception, as they require each driver to use their own insurance to pay for medical expenses after an accident. But regardless of the state, fault always dictates whose liability insurance pays for property damage.… read full answer

Your liability insurance never covers your own expenses, so you will need collision insurance, personal injury protection (PIP), or MedPay in order to avoid paying out of pocket for an at-fault accident. Some states require drivers to have PIP or MedPay, while collision insurance is usually required if you are leasing or financing your car.

After an at-fault accident, car insurance rates go up by an average of 48%. The exact amount that your premium will go up depends on a few factors, including your state and how much damage you caused. But any increase is only temporary, usually lasting about 3-5 years. And if you have accident forgiveness with your insurance company, your rates might not go up at all.

Ultimately, no one wants to be at-fault in a car accident, but it’s important to understand how at-fault accidents work just in case. With that in mind, here’s a quick summary of what you really need to know.

Here’s What Happens If You Are At-Fault in a Car Accident

• Your liability insurance should pay for the other driver’s expenses.
• You will need to use other types of car insurance to cover your own repair and medical bills.
• Your car insurance rates will go up by an average of 48% for 3-5 years.

Drivers in Pennsylvania need $15,000 of bodily injury liability insurance per person (up to $30,000 per accident) and $5,000 of property damage liability insurance. Collision, comprehensive and gap insurance may also be required by a lender or lessor if your vehicle is financed.

In addition, an optional but recommended type of coverage in Pennsylvania is … read full answeruninsured/underinsured motorist insurance. It replaces the liability coverage an at-fault driver should’ve had and pays for your costs up to your policy limits.

Here’s How Much Car Insurance Drivers Need in Pennsylvania:

If you lease or finance your car, you may be required to carry coverage types that are not mandatory under Pennsylvania law. Lenders or lessors usually require comprehensive and collision insurance. Collision insurance covers repairs to your car when you hit another car or object. If the damage to your vehicle was caused by something other than a collision—like a natural disaster, vandalism, falling objects, or animals—it is most likely covered by comprehensive insurance. Lenders may also require gap insurance, which covers the difference between what you owe on your loan or lease and what the vehicle is worth if it has been stolen or totaled.

Even if you’re not required to carry these optional coverage types, you may still need them. You can learn more about when to drop optional coverage and the penalties for driving without insurance in Pennsylvania to make sure you’re paying for the coverage you need.

You should drop full coverage insurance on your car when the cost of the insurance equals or exceeds the potential payout, should a covered event occur. You may also want to drop full coverage if you are willing to pay for repairs out of pocket, or if you would prefer to replace your vehicle if it’s damaged. … read full answer

For example, an older car with high mileage may not be worth costly repairs, and you might want to save for a new car instead of paying for extra insurance. Similarly, a driver who uses their car infrequently might take the gamble of dropping full coverage, since they are statistically less likely to damage their vehicle.

You should consider dropping full coverage car insurance when...

• Your car is old or has a lot of miles. The less valuable your car is, the less likely it is that you need much coverage beyond your state’s requirements. A good rule of thumb is that when your annual full-coverage payment equals 10% of your car’s value, it’s time to drop the coverage.
• You have a big emergency fund. If you don’t have any savings, car damage might leave you in a severe bind. In that case, the money you spend on full coverage insurance will protect you from insurmountable repair bills. Consider keeping your full coverage insurance until you have some savings built up.

For those who aren’t quite sure what it means exactly, “full coverage” is a catch-all term for insurance that covers you, other drivers, and your vehicles. It generally includes both collision and non-collision insurance. In other words, there is no single policy for "full coverage" car insurance. Instead, you select a combination of coverages that you feel is enough to handle all aspects of a car collision. With a well-rounded collection of coverages, you are “fully” protected from a variety of vehicular hazards, ranging from injuries and collision damage to weather events, encounters with wildlife, and vandalism.

However, it’s important to remember that different states require different levels of coverage. Make sure to check state requirements before making any changes to an insurance policy.

With that being said, it’s wise to get full coverage for a new, rare, or expensive car. A $40,000 truck is worth the few hundred dollars a year for full coverage insurance, for example. Otherwise, you run the risk of having to drop another $40,000 on a new truck if you’re involved in a serious accident.