5 min read · Last reviewed 2026-09-01
What the choice means
Pennsylvania drivers select either full tort or limited tort when they buy auto insurance. Limited tort premiums are lower, and in exchange the policyholder gives up the right to recover for pain and suffering in most cases.
Both options still allow recovery of medical expenses, lost wages and other out-of-pocket losses.
Exceptions to limited tort
Limited tort is not absolute. Pennsylvania law recognises exceptions, including where the injury is a serious impairment of a body function, where the at-fault driver was convicted of driving under the influence, where the at-fault vehicle is registered out of state, and in certain commercial vehicle situations.
Whether an injury qualifies as serious is fact-specific and frequently disputed.
Check your declarations page
The tort selection appears on the declarations page of your policy. Many people are unsure which they chose, and the answer changes what a claim can include.
This guide is general legal information, not legal advice, and laws change. Talk to an attorney about your own situation.