Auto insurance is essentially a contract that is between you and your insurance agency, and is put in place to protect you from financial loss in the case of an accident. Each insurance agency offers a variety of coverage that you can purchase. The amount of coverage you purchase is based on your needs and wants. However, you will want to ensure that you at least have the state minimum requirement of coverage in your insurance plan. Once you have a plan you will pay a premium to the agency and they will protect you financially, according to the terms in the contract.
In Pennsylvania, it is a requirement to have auto insurance in order to drive a vehicle. This is called maintaining the "financial responsibility" of your vehicle according to Pennsylvania law. If you fail to have insurance or even if you let is lapse, you could lose your driving privileges for up to three months. The only exception is if the lapse was for less than 31 days and you can prove that the vehicle was not driven during that time. You could face even more penalties if you are stopped for a moving violation and do not have auto insurance on the vehicle.
When purchasing auto insurance, you will need to make sure the minimums for Pennsylvania are met. Some of the required coverages include medical benefits to pay for medical bills (for you, any passengers, and drivers of other vehicles involved) in the case of an accident, bodily injury liability to pay for medical bills of people in other vehicles if the accident is your fault, property damage liability to cover the cost of damage to another individuals property if you are at fault, and limited or full tort.
You are required by law to have the state minimum coverage but you can also add additional coverages to make sure you are fully protected, more than the minimum allows. You can work with a friendly and independent insurance agent at Heffers Insurance Agency to get the best policy for your needs.