Help understanding PA car insurance

MIL just informed my Wife her 2010 Ford Focus with 20,000 miles is probably totaled. At my suggestion she called her family Dr. about getting checked out. A 20 yr old blew a stop sign and she hit the DS of his car, spinning her around CCW. MIL and pax, another 87 yr old suffered no apparent injuries other than feeling beat up. So, the important stuff is out of the way.

Does PA still have that "Your Fault" insurance and is she going to get fair replacement value for a car with such low mileage and a 2 week old inspection sticker. SIL (Son In Law) (me) will the the one car shopping for her.

 

Shameless bump in case someone may be able to help.

 

This may not be helpful as I don’t specifically know the answer to your question, but I can’t imagine any scenario that your MIL won’t get fair market value for her vehicle. She was not at fault obviously. In todays market she may get over FMV just because the market is still nutso.
If the other driver has no insurance this will be complicated and will involve litigation obviously. But if he does have any insurance she should be “made whole” again.

Reach out to her insurance agent and have them press the other party’s agent about getting the ball rolling. If I read correctly it’s probably been close to a week since the accident- she should already have a rental etc until this is figured out.

And it should go without saying that thank goodness everyone is ok and we’re just talking about “stuff” here.

 

If by "your fault" you mean tort then yes, that is a thing in PA. But it refers to damages to your body, pain, suffering, etc. When you apply for a policy you choose either full or limited tort. Full tort means you can sue for full punitive and compensatory damages as it relates to your pain and physical suffering. Limited tort means you can only insert your legal penis up to the tip, no full penetration.

Choosing limited tort results in a smaller premium paid for the policy.

As far as getting a check for her ecoboom... that kid's insurance is on the hook for whatever the car is worth.

 

Thanks guys. I called the insurance company and managed to get a little information from them. We are all waiting on what the adjuster says. I'm pretty sure she's going to get stuck with a POS mailbox hunter instead of a nice car like she had. Well, it was a Focus after all.

 

Make sure it can run over a minimum of 35 mailboxes. Anything less is well, you know..

 

She should get compensated pretty fairly for the focus for another vehicle replacement vehicle. The mileage will come into play for the number they offer. You can deny the offer if you don't like it? I just seen a guy with a R titled truck that got totaled in PA get compensated VERY fairly/in his favor. If you're getting the run around from the other drivers insurance co submit the claim to your ins co let them battle it out with each other.

 

She did receive an offer in the mail yesterday for $9,1 something. Odd that the other driver was cited but the payout of her totaled car was reduced by her $200 deductible. She pretty bruised and swollen but in time will be just fine. A couple of things make me believe she has the limited tort no fault. She hasn't received anything in the mail from ambulance chasing attorneys and there has been no mention of the other driver's insurance company.
We are going to be there later this week and hope to review her policy to get a better idea of what to expect. Until then I'll be searching for a suitable replacement which BTW asking prices are about $4-5,000 higher than what she's been offered.

 

Do both parties have the same insurance? Cause that would suck.

 

Nah. She's Erie, non driver, State Farm.

 

If that same car is costing another 4-5K i would decline the offer. You should be able to get more $. The other drivers tort option does not affect your wife in anyway. It's that drivers rights. Get your ins co involved

 

It's actually my Wife's mother and I think she may have the no fault. I wasn't in on the decision on what coverage she should get. I'm only involved when things go sideways then I'm expected to make it all better.

 

Just an update to the situation. Pa does offer a choice of no fault and conventional car insurance with no fault being cheaper. The no fault does remove your right to sue the party at fault for pain and suffering. All your medical bills will be paid by the at fault drivers insurance but nothing more.

The car was totaled without consent or consideration of the owner. The adjuster's opinion was the final word. The monetary offer for the car was of course much less than what would be required to replace the car but after spending 2 hours researching and writing an email to the insurance company with multiple examples of asking prices, they came back that same day offering about 25% more than the original offer. Mother in Law accepted and the title was signed and overnighted to them. Two days later she had a check. So, an email was sent on a Tuesday and she deposited a check that Friday.