What is subrogation and why should I care about it?
Subrogation is an insurance term which refers to the insurance companies right to stand in your shoes and recover the money they paid to you from the at fault driver in the car or truck accident. Pennsylvania is a “no fault” state, which means that if you were injured and/or your car or truck was damaged in an auto accident, you insurance company must pay your medical bills up to the limits of your coverage and pay to repair your vehicle, regardless of whether the accident was your fault or not. Virtually every insurance policy issued in the state of Pennsylvania contains a clause that requires that you not to jeopardize or extinguish your insurance company’s ability to subrogate. This is important because if you sign a release with the at fault driver’s insurance company, you may have jeopardized your insurance company’s ability to subrogate against the at fault driver and your insurance company will have no obligation to pay you benefits under the policy. This situation frequently arises when someone executes a release with the at fault driver insurance company and then attempts to collect underinsured (UIM) benefits from their own insurance company. Before you sign anything with the at fault driver or your own insurance company, you should contact an experienced personal injury or auto accident attorney.
Will my insurance rates increase if I am in a car accident?
No. Your insurance rates can only increase if you the person responsible for the car accident or if you were cited for some form of a moving violation. Pennsylvania is considered a “no fault” state, which means that your own auto insurance pays your medical bills regardless of who is at fault.