Do I need to have motorcycle insurance to legally drive a motorcycle here in Philadelphia PA.

John

Philadelphia PA

In Pennsylvania motorcycle owners are required to have the same limits of liability insurance to register a motorcycle as an automobile. The minimum required insurance coverage needed to own and operate a car in Pennsylvania are:

•Medical Coverage — this coverage pays for medical bills for you and passenger covered on your car insurance policy regardless of who is at fault. The minimum limit is $5,000.

•Bodily Injury Liability — this pays for medical expenses if you injure someone in a car accident. You can purchase of at least $15,000\ limit per person up to $30,000 per accident.

•Property Damage Liability — if you damage someone’s property in an accident and you are found at fault, this coverage pays for it. You must buy at least $5,000 of coverage.

Motorcycle owners are required to sign and acknowledgment of Financial Responsibility Statement and give car insurance information such as policy number and the effective date and expiration date of the insurance policy.

I am from Pennsylvania, and I usually drive my friend’s uninsured car. Will my auto insurance cover it if I get involved in an accident?

Betty

Lancaster, PA

Pennsylvania is one of the largest states that adopted the no-fault law. The no-fault law states that if there was a car accident, the parties involved will be covered by their own car insurance company regardless of who was responsible for the mishap. This no-fault law is an attempt to minimize delays and red tape. Lengthy lawsuits trying to determine who was at fault and who needs to pay who can be quite tedious and bothersome.

In your case, before you borrow anybody’s car, be sure to verify if it has auto insurance coverage. Your friend has to obtain his or her own insurance coverage for the car. It is against the law to acquire a vehicle and not have it covered. This is because every federal government requires its motorists to have financial responsibility if they cause unfortunate accidents. So your friend is obligated to insure it.

If ever you get into an accident while driving your friend’s car, then his or her insurance will kick in first. Your auto insurance policy will be a back up to your friend’s coverage if it so happens that his or her policy limits cannot pay for all the expenses incurred following an accident.

I got involved in an accident and was informed that my license was suspended and my auto insurance was not valid prior to the accident in Springfield. What will the penalties be?.

Richard

Springfield, PA

In Pennsylvania the penalties for driving with a suspended license will differ depending on the reason for your license suspension. If it was suspended due to driving a car without auto insurance it will likely be three months before you can have it reinstated.

If you are found by police officer to be driving without insurance in Springfield PA, you could face the following penalties and expenses:

• A minimum fine of $300 for driving uninsured;
• A three month suspension of your driver’s license;
• A three month suspension of your vehicle’s registration;
• A $50 restoration fee to restore your vehicle’s registration;
• $50 restoration fee to restore your driver’s license;
• Your car may not be driven by anyone while the registration is suspended.

In addition if you were at fault in the car accident, you likely will be held personally liable for the damage to the other driver’s car. You may contact the Pennsylvania Driver and Vehicle Services to get more information regarding the penalties.

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.

A: First of all, when buying expensive SR22 certificate, be realistic. You may prefer to have high levels of coverage, but depending on the situation you are in concerning bills, debt, finances, family and so on, it may be out of your league. Budget your expenses and determine how much SR22 insurance you can actually afford.

If you’re going to cut coverages, make sure you look at them carefully before you do. If your family doesn’t have health insurance, then you might want personal injury protection on your SR22 certificate insurance to cover any injuries should any of you get into a car accident. If you do end up keeping higher amounts of coverage, try raising your deductibles for lower premiums.

SR22 certificate insurance is about more than price or name recognition, and the car insurance company who has the cheapest quote isn’t automatically the best. You need a company which has good pricing in addition to great service and great deals.