New Jersey and Pennsylvania, side by side
Neighbouring states, similar-looking rules, and differences that decide cases. If you were hurt near the border, which state's law applies is itself a serious question.
| New Jersey | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Injury lawsuit deadline | 2 years | 2 years |
| Comparative fault | Modified, 51% bar | Modified, 51% bar |
| Auto system | Choice no-fault with PIP | Choice no-fault with medical benefits |
| Restriction on pain and suffering | Verbal threshold, six categories | Limited tort, serious injury plus six exceptions |
| Minimum liability limits | $35k / $70k / $25k from 1 Jan 2026 | Among the lowest in the country |
| Work injury notice | 14 days safe, 90 days absolute | 21 days for full benefits, 120 days absolute |
| Work comp claim deadline | 2 years | 3 years |
| Notice against government | 90 days | 6 months |
Which state's law applies is not always where you live
It can turn on where the crash happened, where the vehicles were registered, where the policy was issued, where the employer is based, and for a work injury, where the employment relationship sits. People who live in one state and work in the other, which around Philadelphia and Trenton is thousands of people, land in this question constantly. It is a legal question about your facts and we cannot answer it. Raise it early with a lawyer, because the two states have different clocks and picking the wrong one wastes the only thing you cannot get back.
New Jersey in detail
The verbal threshold, PIP, the 2026 minimums increase, and the Tort Claims Act notice.
Read the New Jersey pagePennsylvania in detail
Limited tort and its six exceptions, the 21 and 120 day work rules, sovereign immunity.
Read the Pennsylvania page