As most Pennsylvania residents
know, if you operate a vehicle in Pennsylvania, you must have automobile
insurance. Certain types and limits of insurance are mandatory, while other
types of coverage are optional.
If a motorist desires a certain
type of legal coverage and is willing to pay for it, an insurer will gladly
sell it and add it to a standard policy. The following are optional types of
insurance coverage under Pennsylvania law:
Uninsured Motorist (UM): This coverage applies to a driver (named
insured), his or her family, and passengers for bodily injury if involved in an
accident with an at-fault uninsured motorist. This does not cover property
damage.
Underinsured Motorist (UIM): This coverage applies to a driver (named
insured), his or her family, and passengers for bodily injury if in an accident
with an at-fault motorist and does not have sufficient insurance to cover the
claim. This also does not cover property damage.
Stacking of UM or UIM coverages: This coverage available at additional cost allows
motorists to either multiply the amount of uninsured or underinsured motorist
coverage by the number of vehicles on a policy or to receive uninsured or
underinsured motorist coverage from more than one policy.
Funeral Benefit: This coverage pays, up to a certain dollar
amount, money for funeral expenses if a named insured or family member dies in
a motor vehicle accident.
Income Loss: This coverage pays a portion of lost wages
when injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident prevent a named insured from
working.
Collision: This benefit pays to repair damage to a motor
vehicle as a result of an accident. Under Pennsylvania law, an insurance carrier
applies a $500 deductible unless a lower amount is requested.
Comprehensive: This pays for theft or damage to a vehicle
from hazards, including fire, flood, or vandalism.
Extraordinary medical benefits: This coverage pays for medical and
rehabilitation expenses that exceed $100,000. It provides a maximum of $1
million of coverage.
Accidental death benefit: This benefit is paid to the personal
representative of a named insured if the bodily injury from a motor vehicle
accident results in death within 24 months of the date of the accident.
Rental reimbursement: This pays for expenses, up to policy limits,
to rent a vehicle in the circumstance of a covered comprehensive or collision
loss.
Towing: This reimburses for towing and labor costs for
a covered disabled vehicle, up to policy limits. This coverage is usually only
available if comprehensive and collision is also carried.
Gap coverage: This coverage is traditionally only available
when an individual is purchasing a new vehicle. It pays the difference between
an insurance company’s payment for a totaled vehicle and the balance of a
vehicle loan.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury resulting from any type of accident, contact Powell Law at (570) 961-0777. Our decades of experience make us the clear and obvious choice for all types of legal representation in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and surrounding areas. The consultation is FREE, and you don’t pay anything unless we win. Our attorneys, past and present, have represented motor vehicle accident victims for 114 years. Call today!
