Limited tort is Pennsylvania’s version of the “verbal threshold.” The Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Act requires insurance companies to give the insured the option of selecting “Limited Tort” or “Full Tort,” with the full tort option being only slightly more expensive than the limited tort option. If you select limited tort, you will not be able to sue for pain and suffering unless you sustain a serious or permanent injury, which has been defined by the Pennsylvania Courts as a “serious impairment of a bodily function.” That definition is vague, but does not typically include soft tissue injuries such as a sprained neck or back or even a broken bone that healed properly. Although limited tort is touted by auto-insurance companies as a way for an insured to reduce auto-insurance premiums, the limited tort option severely reduces the insured’s ability to receive compensation for injury while only marginally reducing the premium expense.
