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Who pays after an auto accident?

On Behalf of | Jan 17, 2020 | Auto Accidents |

In the aftermath of an auto accident, your thoughts probably go to who will pay for all the damage. Since Pennsylvania is a no-fault state that requires you to carry Personal Injury Protection, your insurer will help you with the medical costs you incur up to your limit. However, your policy will not cover anything over the limit nor for any property damage.

According to NerdWallet, you can take the responsible party to court to claim damages for a serious injury. When it comes to property damage, you have some options for what you can do in the event the other person is to blame for the accident.

A claim to the other party’s insurer

You have the right to make a claim to the responsible party’s insurance for the damage. If you do this, realize that it might take some time to see any money. The insurer will investigate to determine who was at fault. If it disagrees, then you will have to go through more investigation to prove your claim. Even when the company agrees the other party is at fault, you will have to wait for repair quotes and for the insurer to issue the payment.

A claim to your own insurance

Even if you are not at fault in an accident, you can make a claim for property damage to your own insurer. You will have to make a claim anyway for your medical needs, so this should not be inconvenient. Of course, this will only work if you have collision and comprehensive coverage, and you will likely have to pay your deductible. Your insurer will then go after the other party’s insurance company for repayment of what it pays out. Taking things through your insurer first may help make the process move faster.

Do keep in mind that claims to any insurance are only valid for up to the limit of coverage. If the other person does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance to cover all the expenses, you will need to go to court to recover the rest of the money. If you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy, you can use that instead.