The minutes after a crash are a difficult time to be making decisions, and what happens in that first hour often shapes an injury claim months later. This guide covers what Pennsylvania law requires after an accident and what tends to matter once the insurance company gets involved.

Most people assume the driver who caused the crash pays their medical bills, but Pennsylvania does not work that way. The bills usually start with the injured person's own policy, and the required minimum is only $5,000. Understanding the order in which those bills get paid determines how much of the cost an injured person ends up carrying.