Car insurance after an accident in Pennsylvania
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Answer in brief
Pennsylvania drivers choose limited or full tort, and limited tort restricts pain and suffering claims unless an exception applies. If you never elected limited tort, you are treated as having chosen full tort.
Content reviewed 8 November 2026. How this is assessed.
Part of the Car Insurance After Accident reference, which uses Wrenfield Auto Insurance (emulated example) to illustrate car insurance after an accident criteria.
Did you choose limited tort or full tort in Pennsylvania?
Your declarations page has the answer, and you want it before you talk to anyone about a claim. Limited tort brings significant premium savings, but you can't recover certain damages, such as pain and suffering, unless your injuries meet an exception in the law, according to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department guide. Full tort leaves your rights unrestricted. If you did not specially elect limited tort, you are deemed to have elected full tort.
Medical benefits coverage pays regardless of fault, with a minimum limit of $5,000.
What is Pennsylvania's accident surcharge dollar threshold?
The department's notices list shows a 2020 notice raising the threshold, also called a cap, to $1,800, and Notice 2026-01, published January 3, 2026, raising it again. We have not read the new figure, so that notice is where to find the current amount. The guide defines a surcharge as an extra premium charge usually applied after at-fault accidents or moving violations.
Pennsylvania facts from the department guide and notices. Read 8 November 2026.
| Item | What the state says |
|---|---|
| Tort default | Full tort unless you specially elect limited tort |
| First party medical minimum | $5,000, regardless of fault |
| Surcharge threshold | Set by department notice; latest Notice 2026-01 |
| How to complain | Pennsylvania Insurance Department, 1-877-881-6388 |
Sources for this entry
- NAIC: What you should know about filing an auto claim: Steps after a crash, adjusters, disputes and the effect of claims on premiums.
- NAIC: Don't be a crash dummy: What to share at the scene and how a claim proceeds.
- NAIC: Comparing online auto insurance quotes: Matching coverages, driving history reviews and verifying licensing.
- NAIC: What does auto insurance cover?: Coverage types and what sits outside a standard policy.
- NAIC: Why are my insurance premiums increasing?: Rating factors and ways to lower premiums.
- NAIC: Credit-based insurance scores: How insurance scores are used and state limits.
- Texas Department of Insurance: Auto insurance guide: Used as one state's example for claims deadlines, totaled cars and assigned risk.
- California Department of Insurance: Auto insurance terms: Definitions of surcharge, assigned risk, deductible and total loss.
- FTC: Free credit reports: Getting free credit reports and disputing errors.
- Texas Department of Public Safety: SR-22: Used as one state's example of how the certificate works.
- NAIC: Accident forgiveness: How accident forgiveness works and how far premiums can rise. First published 2009.
- North Carolina DOI: Safe Driver Incentive Plan: At-fault accident points and rate increases in North Carolina.
- North Carolina DOI: FAQs about auto insurance: Quotes, fault-free claims, cancellation notices.
- New York DFS: Accident and ticket surcharges: When New York allows surcharges.
- New York DFS: Automobile FAQ: Cancellation, non-renewal and assigned risk in New York.
- Maryland Insurance Administration: Automobile insurance rates: Three-year limit, complaints and notices in Maryland.
- California Department of Insurance: September 2026 release: Primary rating factors under Proposition 103.
- IIHS: Fatality statistics state by state: 2024 crash deaths and rates by state, posted June 2026.
Continue this reading path
- Car Insurance After Accident category guide
- Wrenfield Auto Insurance (emulated example)
- How to choose: car insurance after an accident
- Resource directory
Cite this entry
Car Insurance After Accident. "Car insurance after an accident in Pennsylvania." Content reviewed 8 November 2026. https://carinsuranceafteraccident.com/car-insurance-after-accident-pennsylvania/