What Kind of Car Insurance Coverage Should I Get in Pennsylvania?
Reader’s Question:
If there’s a third party liability, then what’s the coverage for first and second party liability? I don’t think I’ve heard of those here in Erie, PA. I just got my first car and I don’t know what kind of insurance to get.
Chuck
Erie, PA
You are one confused kid, I tell ya. Okay, let us get all the terms clear here, all right? The term first party refers to you, the policy owner who entered in to contract with the second party, which is the car insurance company. So, yes you were correct about not having heard of the first party and the second party liabilities before because in Erie, Pennsylvania and in any other state for that matter, the most common and most sought-after kind of insurance coverage is the third party liability. Well, of course, you got the idea of second party all wrong. Seriously now, the third party refers to the other person or other persons who are involved in the accident, and they are the people to whom the damage is done, whether in terms of body injuries or damage to property. So in a nutshell, the coverage of the first party liability includes the policy owner, his or her passengers. The third party liability, on the other hand, covers property damage and bodily injures on other people as a result of the accident, so you won’t have to worry about paying for repair bills and medical expenses. And there’s no such thing as second party liability, which is like saying that it’s the vehicle insurance company that caused the accident.
Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance coverage
What Happens If I Drive Without Insurance And Driver License?
Reader’s Question:
If I got involved in a car accident without insurance and driver’s license in Pennsylvania however it is not my fault. Could I be charged with a crime if someone got killed in the accident?
Fred
Pittsburgh, PA
Operating a vehicle without insurance and without a valid license are both against the law in the state of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania laws states that every car that is required to be registered should be covered by financial responsibility (FR). Most motorists choose to get Financial Responsibility in the way of auto insurance.
The penalties for not having auto insurance, or another form of FR, can include:
1. A three month suspension of your driver’s license
2. A minimum of $300 fine
3. $50 reinstatement fee to restore your driver’s license
4. A three month suspension of your vehicle registration
5. $50 reinstatement fee to restore your vehicle registration
6. That the car may not be driven by anyone while the registration is revoked or suspended.
Since you were driving without the required state insurance and without a valid license you will likely received some of the penalties above if you were convicted by the responding law enforcement officer. There might be other penalties too if you get involved in an accident and if a death occurred.
Loading ...