SettlementLift resources
After a car accident in Pennsylvania
Looking for a crash report, a local attorney or cash while your case is pending? Start with these Pennsylvania resources and choose the next step that fits your situation.
By SettlementLift. Published · Updated .
Explore Pennsylvania by city
Start with the investigating agency
The PSP service applies to incidents investigated by Pennsylvania State Police and provides online and mail request routes for eligible parties. Its instructions include report availability and fees. For a local police investigation, ask that department about its own report access process.
Pennsylvania State Police: Request a vehicle crash report ↗Know what coverage means
Insurance minimums, explained
Insurance language can feel like another problem to solve. Here is the starting point for a standard passenger-auto policy in Pennsylvania.
Bodily injury · one person
$15,000The injury liability limit for a single injured person.
Bodily injury · one accident
$30,000The injury liability limit shared across injured people in one crash.
Property damage · one accident
$5,000For damage to other people’s vehicles or property.
These are minimum coverage requirements, not an estimate of your settlement. A policy may have higher limits. Special programs, commercial vehicles and the policy’s effective date can change the requirements.
What about my medical bills?
Policies must include at least $5,000 in medical benefits. Ask your insurer which first-party benefits apply to your injuries.
If the other driver has too little insurance
Check your policy for UM/UIM coverage and any rejection or coverage selection forms.
How long do I have to file?
The general personal-injury filing period is 2 years. The claim type, accrual date and exceptions matter; government claims can require earlier notice. Have an attorney confirm your deadline.
Pennsylvania filing-period guidance ↗A little clarity helps
Questions you may have
Does the minimum limit tell me what my case is worth?
No. It describes a coverage requirement. Injuries, responsibility, available policies and other facts affect what may be recoverable. Multiple injured people may share an accident limit.
Do I have to wait for a settlement to ask about medical benefits?
Your own policy may have benefits available before a liability claim settles. Ask your insurer which coverage applies, what records it needs and when you must give notice.
Can I request cash while my case is pending?
You can tell us about your case and the amount you need. Pre-settlement funding is separate from an insurance payment. Review any written offer’s costs, repayment terms and effect on the money you keep from your case.
What should I have ready?
Your crash date, insurance information, any claim number and your attorney’s contact details are useful starting points. If you have an attorney, including their information can reduce follow-up during review.
Crash statistics
2024 · NHTSA FARS first annual release
1,060Fatal crashes
1,127People killed
146Fatal crashes involving a large truck
What these figures mean
Our derived NHTSA FARS baseline records 1,060 fatal crashes and 1,127 people killed in Pennsylvania during 2024. Of those crashes, 146 involved a large truck. The truck figure is a subset of fatal crashes, not an additional total. These figures use the first annual release dated April 1, 2026; they do not count all injury or property-damage crashes.
NHTSA: Original 2024 FARS national CSV archive ↗Useful state resources
PennDOT’s safety resources provide a starting point for statewide transportation information. In our national data below, fatalities count people and fatal crashes count events. Neither those figures nor a state safety page identify fault or establish the value of an individual claim.
PennDOT: Safety resources ↗Find help near you
Choose your city for local records, law firm resources and truck accident guidance.
Philadelphia
Special hauling permits
Philadelphia’s special-hauling process asks for the carrier’s USDOT number, dates, origin, destination, route, dimensions and load information. The city explains that the route and travel date can affect partner approvals, including PennDOT requirements. These details can guide an attorney’s records questions when an oversized or heavy load is involved. A normal truck trip should not automatically be treated as a special-hauling move.
Philadelphia: Special hauling permits ↗Pittsburgh
Match curbside work to the right city permit
Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure manages right-of-way activities, including reserving parking-lane space for moving trucks or containers. If a truck, container or temporary obstruction affected the collision, note the block, dates and any permit number visible in existing photos. Ask which city permit and traffic-control records cover that location.
Pittsburgh DOMI: Right-of-way management ↗Allentown
Warehouse freight planning is regional context
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission publishes freight-infrastructure and freight-related land-use resources for a region larger than Allentown. For a collision near a warehouse or delivery entrance, identify the actual municipality and driveway. A regional freight designation can help frame questions, but does not identify the truck operator or establish the safety of a particular turn.
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission: Freight infrastructure ↗Erie
Port cargo can involve several different businesses
Erie’s port authority describes cargo handling and commercial port services. For a collision involving a port-related load, keep the terminal, truck operator and cargo-handling company separate in your notes. The port destination alone does not identify who operated the truck; ask your attorney which delivery, vehicle and site records would help clarify the trip.
Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority: Commercial port ↗Get ready for your next conversation
Keep the report reference, insurance correspondence, expense records and questions together. Ask an attorney which filing periods and other deadlines apply to the particular parties and claim. A report request, insurance conversation or SettlementLift inquiry does not stop a deadline. For a truck crash, ask about the vehicle identifiers, carrier and any records that may need prompt preservation.
Need cash while your case is pending?
A pre-settlement cash advance may help with expenses while a case is pending. Start by telling us about your case and the amount you have in mind. Before accepting an offer, compare its written costs and repayment terms with your other options.