Ask the Attorney: What's Up With Full Tort Versus Limited Tort Coverage?

I have a car insurance policy with limited tort coverage tosave on my premiums, but I have heard this could cost me dearly if I am ever in a car accident. What are the risks of having limited tort versus full tort coverage?

In Pennsylvania, drivers can choose between two kinds of personal injury coverage in their auto insurance polices: full tort coverage, and limited tort coverage.  This is an important choice that can have a profound effect on what insured drivers can recover from their insurance companies when they are injured in a car accident.  Full tort coverage not only permits injured drivers to make an insurance claim for their direct, out-of-pocket medical expenses arising from a car accident, but it also allows them to make a claim for pain and suffering.  Limited tort coverage, on the other hand, prevents injured drivers from pursuing claims for pain and suffering in most circumstances. Unless state law recognizes that an injury is sufficiently …

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Ask the Attorney: Uh, What's Up With Personal Jurisdiction?

Q: I recently sold something online to a buyer in another state. Now the buyer is dissatisfied and threatening to sue. If the buyer files a lawsuit, will I have to travel to an out-of-state court to defend myself?

Probably not, but as with most legal questions, it depends.  The answer revolves around the legal concept of personal jurisdiction, which is a phrase that strikes fear into the heart of many first-year law students. The term jurisdiction refers to a court’s power to hear and pass judgment on a particular case or issue. Generally, courts cannot hear or pass judgment on cases that fall outside of their jurisdiction.  A court’s jurisdiction is sometimes defined by the subject matter of the cases it can hear, but more to the point, courts must have jurisdiction over the parties to a lawsuit. This is personal jurisdiction, and it has a lot to do with a court’s geographical location. Of course, it makes sense that a Pennsylvania court would have…

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Ask the Attorney: What's Up With Transferring Firearms?

Q: I have a used gun that I would like to sell. How do I go about selling it legally?

Pennsylvania closely regulates the sale and possession of firearms under the Uniform Firearms Act.  This statute forces licensed retail sellers of firearms to follow a number of steps to ensure that specific buyers are legally permitted to possess a firearm and to keep adequate records of gun transactions.  In most cases, individuals who want to sell used firearms to buyers who are not licensed firearms dealers must do so on the premises of a licensed firearm dealer, who then performs the same steps to transfer title to the gun as if it were the seller.  Sales conducted through a licensed firearm dealer take longer and involve more bureaucracy. The proposed buyer must provide photo identification and fill out an application that the dealer…

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