Most Pittsburgh residents know that, before driving a vehicle, a Pennsylvania resident must make sure he or she has proper insurance on that vehicle. Pennsylvania law establishes the minimum amount of that insurance.
In theory, these rules require a driver to make sure he or she has enough funds available to compensate victims should he or she cause an accident, although these limits often are too low to cover the most serious injuries.
Under both federal and state regulations, many if not most truck companies have to carry additional insurance over and above what the state law requires if they wish to conduct their transportation business legally. Among other things, these higher limits account for the fact that trucks usually cause a lot more damage than cars when the crash, in large part because of their weight and size. In other words, these additional requirements assure the public that in all but the most serious of truck accidents, there will be enough money to compensate fully for all injuries.
These insurance requirements vary depending on what routes a truck company uses to conduct its business and what type of cargo it hauls. For instance, a truck company which travels in multiple states hauls typical freight, that is, property with no hazardous properties, would need to carry $750,000 in insurance that would kick in if a negligent truck driver causes an injury accident.
Some have recently questions whether the $750,000 limit is really enough to cover the worst trucking accidents, as those accidents often leave multiple dead or seriously injured. In any even though, even though additional insurance money is often available, a Pennsylvania truck accident victim might still need legal representation to establish a truck company’s liability and get their damages paid.