Philadelphia’s roads — the Schuylkill, Roosevelt Boulevard, I-95, and thousands of tight neighborhood intersections — produce crashes every day, and Pennsylvania’s insurance system makes the aftermath more complicated than most drivers expect. Our firm has focused on car accident cases for more than two decades, and the first thing we do is untangle what your coverage actually allows.
Limited Tort vs. Full Tort: The Choice That Decides Your Case
Pennsylvania is a choice no-fault state. If your policy says limited tort, you generally cannot recover pain-and-suffering damages unless an exception applies — serious injury, a drunk driver, an out-of-state vehicle, and several others. Insurers love telling limited-tort victims they have no case; the exceptions are exactly what we examine first. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department publishes the coverage basics; what matters is how they apply to your crash.
What to Do — and What We Take Over
Get medical care, report the crash, photograph everything, and say little to the other insurer — our guide on what to do after a car accident walks through it. PennDOT requires a crash report in injury crashes not investigated by police. From there we take over: the investigation, proving fault, medical documentation, negotiation, and — when insurers won’t be fair — filing suit in the Philadelphia courts.
Common Crash Types We Handle
Rear-end collisions (see our rear-end accident page), intersection and red-light crashes, hit-and-runs, drunk-driving crashes, Uber and rideshare accidents, and crashes with uninsured drivers. Crash-cause data from NHTSA consistently shows distraction, speed, and impairment behind most serious collisions — and establishing which one caused yours is where cases are won.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have limited tort. Do I still have a case?
Possibly, yes — limited tort has significant exceptions, including serious injury, drunk drivers, and out-of-state defendants. This is the single most common question we get, and the answer depends on facts an adjuster won’t volunteer. Have a lawyer review it before you accept “you can’t recover.”
How long will my settlement take?
Straightforward claims can resolve in months; serious-injury cases take longer because settling before your medical picture is clear means settling for too little. Our post on settlement timelines explains the stages honestly.
What if I was partly at fault?
Pennsylvania uses modified comparative negligence: you can still recover as long as you were not more than 50% at fault, with your compensation reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance companies push fault onto victims for exactly this reason — don’t accept their assessment as final.
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Pennsylvania?
Generally two years from the date of injury under Pennsylvania law, but important exceptions exist — shorter notice deadlines for claims against government entities (including SEPTA and the City), and different rules for minors and late-discovered injuries. Treat two years as the outer marker and get specific advice about your dates early.
What does it cost to hire your firm?
Injury cases are handled on a contingency fee: you pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you. The percentage and how case costs (filing fees, records, experts) are handled are spelled out in a written fee agreement before you sign anything, and the initial consultation is free.
Hurt in a crash? Call (215) 464-4600 or contact us online for a free, confidential consultation. We handle injury cases on a contingency fee: no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you, with case costs explained in the written fee agreement before you sign.