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There is a time limit on injury claims in Pennsylvania, and the insurance company knows exactly when it runs out. Answer five questions and we will connect you, free, with an independent attorney licensed in Pennsylvania.
Limited
Time to file most injury claims in Pennsylvania. Miss it and the claim is gone
Shorter
Government vehicle and public entity claims run on their own, tighter clock
Varies
Coverage carried by the at-fault driver is often well below the real cost
Modified
Pennsylvania follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar
This page describes Pennsylvania law in general terms only. It is not legal advice, deadlines and rules change, and exceptions apply. Confirm anything affecting your own claim with an attorney licensed in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania’s defining feature is the limited tort versus full tort choice made when you buy a policy. Limited tort lowers the premium and gives up most of the right to claim for pain and suffering unless the injury is serious. Many drivers picked it years ago to save money and have no memory of doing so until after a crash.
The state applies modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar and requires minimum coverage of just 15/30/5, among the lowest in the country. A driver carrying the minimum has$15,000 available for your injuries, which does not survive contact with a Philadelphia or Pittsburgh hospital admission.
Because the floor is so low, underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy frequently determines what a serious claim is actually worth. Stacking — combining UM/UIM limits across multiple vehicles on a policy — is available in Pennsylvania and is often overlooked.
Limited tort has exceptions people rarely know about. Serious injury generally escapes the restriction, and so do collisions with out-of-state drivers, drunk drivers, and vehicles used in a business in some circumstances. Whether limited tort actually blocks your claim is a question worth putting to an attorney rather than assuming.
Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas has a distinct reputation and a case management track unlike the rest of the state. What resolves quickly in Lancaster or Erie County may take avery different path in Philadelphia, and carriers price accordingly.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike and the I-76, I-79 and I-81 corridors carry heavy freight through mountain grades and genuine winter weather. Multi-vehicle collisions in snow and fog create fault disputes across many drivers at once, in a state where crossing 50% ends the claim.
Each one is common, and each one is avoidable.
It restricts pain and suffering claims, it does not eliminate every claim, and several exceptions can remove the restriction entirely. Deciding you have no case because of a policy selection you barely remember making is the most expensive assumption in Pennsylvania.
With a 15/30/5 minimum, the at-fault driver’s policy often runs out immediately. Pennsylvania allows stacking of underinsured coverage across vehicles on the same policy, which can multiply what is available. It has to be identified to be used.
Chain-reaction collisions on the Turnpike produce a dozen competing accounts. In a 51%-bar state, an early informal statement about speed or following distance can be assembled into the threshold that ends your claim.
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A firm deadline applies to most injury claims, and a much shorter one for notice against a government entity. The date of the collision starts both.
We match you with an attorney licensed in Pennsylvania who handles your collision type and understands how limited tort plays out in your county.
The carrier’s calls go to your attorney, including the questions designed to establish your share of fault under the 51% bar.
Valuation waits for the treatment record, which in a limited tort case is also what establishes whether the serious injury exception applies.
Fault is contested with evidence rather than conceded, and available coverage — including stacked UIM — is identified early.
Most Pennsylvania accident attorneys work on contingency. Our service costs you nothing.
We match you with someone licensed in Pennsylvania who works your area.
Not on the list? We cover the whole state, including rural counties where fewer firms compete.
Pennsylvania sets a firm deadline running from the date of the accident, and a separate, considerably shorter one where a government vehicle or public entity is involved. Both are strict, and missing either generally ends the claim no matter how strong it was. An attorney can confirm which applies to your situation before anything expires.
Pennsylvania follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar. Your recovery is reduced by your share of the blame, and disappears entirely once you are more than 50% responsible. That threshold is exactly why the other side’s adjuster works so hard to establish your share early.
Often yes. Limited tort restricts claims for pain and suffering but not for medical bills and lost earnings, and several exceptions can lift the restriction entirely — including serious injury, and collisions involving certain out-of-state or commercial vehicles. It is worth having someone look at rather than assuming.
Stacking combines uninsured or underinsured motorist limits across multiple vehicles on a policy, increasing what is available after a serious crash. Pennsylvania permits it unless it was waived in writing. Many people have it and never use it.
Possibly. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy may apply, including in hit-and-run cases where the driver was never identified. Many people do not realise they carry it.
Our service is free to you — attorneys pay us for the connection. Most Pennsylvania accident attorneys work on contingency, so their fee comes from any recovery rather than from you upfront. Confirm the arrangement directly before signing anything.
Free, about a minute, no obligation. We connect you with an independent attorney licensed in Pennsylvania.
ClaimMVA Now is a free matching service, not a law firm.