Getting car insurance can seem basic enough, but here at Badell’s Collision we recommend that you learn exactly what kind of coverage you have and what kind of coverage you can get for yourself, your vehicle, your passengers and anyone you’re ever involved in an accident with.
Insurance Approved Body Shop
If you have questions about your insurance coverage and how it will affect your responsibilities as far as accident and collision repair is concerned, please feel free to contact the friendly staff at either of our locations in Aston or Malvern or fill out our free online collision repair estimate form and we will be more than happy to help you.
With two insurance-approved body shops in Chester County & Delaware County PA, we have the experience, knowledge and connections to help you navigate the often-difficult terminology in your auto insurance policy. We work with many of the major & regional insurance carriers and are very familiar with their documents and coverage limits.
There are four general categories of auto insurance: add on, tort liability, choice no-fault and no-fault. So, what exactly is no-fault insurance?
No-fault Coverage
No-fault coverage is a type of policy where your insurance company will take care of your accident damages no matter whose fault it was. What’s great about this particular type of insurance is that it keeps you from having to go after someone else’s insurance company so that you can receive compensation for damages that they caused. No-fault can also keep you from having to resort to insurance approved body shops that you might not like from the other driver’s insurance plan.
The Finer Details of No-fault Coverage
While no-fault insurance coverage may sound pretty cut-and-dry, there are subtle nuances that you should be aware of. Strictly speaking, no-fault coverage not only takes care of damages no matter who is at fault, it also restricts a person’s right to sue the other party involved in the accident for compensation.
When you go by this definition, there are actually no states in America that have a complete no-fault system. The reason for that is because all states allow drivers to sue for general and non-economic damages, but that’s only in the event that the damages are over a certain amount or threshold.
There are some no-fault insurance policies that refer to the threshold that’s necessary for a person to be able to sue. That threshold relates to both verbal and financial terms.
For verbal terms, the injury has to be either a serious one or result in death in order for the person to sue even if they have no-fault insurance.
For monetary terms, there has to be at least $250,000 in damages in order for a lawsuit to be raised. Something else to keep in mind with some no-fault insurance plans is that they don’t cover any of the damage done to a person’s property during the course of the accident.
The State of Pennsylvania
Currently, a title=”Pennsylvania driving” href=”/blog/safe-driving-pa-collision-stats/”>Pennsylvania is included with the states that have no-fault insurance laws. Not only that, but residents, including those in Chester County and Delaware County, have the choice of selecting no-fault insurance or opting out for full tort auto insurance coverage.
Full tort insurance gives you the unrestricted right to seek out financial compensation for any injuries that you sustain because of the actions of another driver. Not only can you seek out financial compensation, so can members of your household who are covered under your policy.
This financial compensation can include medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, additional monetary damages and compensation for your pain and suffering. Another important detail with full tort insurance is that it applies to individuals who don’t own a vehicle that’s not currently registered in Pennsylvania and isn’t included as either named insured or insured by a private passenger automobile insurance policy.
What Falls Under No-fault?
No-fault insurance won’t take care of body shop insurance claims, only bodily injury and associated medical bills and other losses. An example of other losses is any lost wages you incur because your accident leaves you unable to return to work. If you do happen to damage another person’s car, your liability coverage will take care of that while your collision coverage will take care of the damage to your vehicle.
Learn more about the Difference Between Comprehensive and Collision Auto Insurance and the Top Myths About Insurance Coverage.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the friendly staff at either of our locations in Aston or Malvern.