It is against the law in Pennsylvania to drive without insurance. However, the law requires only the minimum amount of coverage so that if you are at fault in a Bucks County auto accident, your insurance covers injuries sustained by others as well as property damage. Experienced PA personal injury lawyer, Michael L. Saile, Jr., of Cordisco & Saile LLC, explains why it is a good idea to add collision insurance to your auto insurance policy.
What is Collision Insurance?
Collision insurance is an optional addition to your auto insurance policy, and it is purely for your benefit. With the state minimum amount of auto insurance, you are on your own when it comes to the repairs of your vehicle after a Pennsylvania auto accident. By adding collision insurance to your policy, you will have coverage on repairs to your car up to market value. Depending on your auto insurance company you may have the option choose replacement-cost coverage, which provides for a new car of the same make and model as the one that was damaged, or actual cash value coverage, which means you will receive a cash amount for the current market value of your car.
Why is Collision Insurance Beneficial?
Collision insurance can be quite beneficial to any driver. Even if you are the most careful or defensive driver, there is always a chance that you will cause an accident or be blamed for one. If you are at fault, you cannot collect for damages from the other driver’s insurance company. Collision coverage is helpful if you are at fault because you are not faced with excessive repair costs after a Philadelphia area auto accident. Collision insurance is also useful because many drivers are still uninsured or underinsured, which means if you get into an accident due to one of these drivers, there will be no way to receive a settlement from the other driver’s insurance company. Collision insurance will cover you when the other driver’s insurance cannot.
It is advised that you create an insurance policy that includes the most coverage that you can afford. It may seem beneficial to cut costs and skip the optional choices, but you may end up having to pay for repair bills and damage expenses out of pocket following a Bucks County auto accident.
If you have been injured in a Philadelphia area auto accident, you may have questions regarding you auto insurance policy and your legal options. Contact the Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers at Saile & Saile LLP for all the answers you need. In the meantime, download your FREE copy of our PA Car Accident Book now.
