Insurance in Pennsylvania

Coverage Requirements in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania requires 15/30/5 auto liability ($15,000 per person bodily injury, $30,000 per accident, $5,000 property damage) PLUS mandatory $5,000 in first-party medical benefits. Pennsylvania is a choice no-fault state — every PA driver elects between limited tort (lower premium, you cannot sue for pain and suffering except in serious-injury cases) and full tort (higher premium, unrestricted right to sue). The statutory minimums are dangerously low for modern vehicle values and medical costs; VKOVR recommends 100/300/100 liability, $25k+ first-party medical, and stacked UM/UIM for most PA households. Standard homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania covers wind, hail, winter-storm, and fire but excludes flood. NFIP or private flood is essential along the Susquehanna, Schuylkill, Delaware, Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio river basins and in urban flash-flood-prone ZIP codes of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Older PA housing stock (row homes, 1900s frame, fieldstone foundations) drives sewer-backup and water-damage claims; service-line and equipment-breakdown endorsements are worth evaluating. Coverage A should track current PA rebuild costs rather than outdated tax-assessor values. Pennsylvania employers with one or more employees must carry workers' compensation insurance — coverage must be placed through a licensed insurer or the State Workers' Insurance Fund (SWIF). Healthcare (UPMC, Penn Medicine, Geisinger), higher-education, Marcellus Shale natural gas, Lehigh Valley warehousing/logistics, and Philadelphia/Pittsburgh professional-services drive distinctive Pennsylvania commercial pricing; general liability, cyber, D&O, and commercial auto are especially important for PA's anchor industries.