What Documents Should I Bring to My Pennsylvania Attorney Consultation?
Walking into your first consultation unprepared wastes everyone's time and can weaken your case before it starts. Discover the exact documents Pennsylvania injury attorneys need to evaluate your claim, build your case timeline, and maximize your recovery.
What Documents Should I Bring to My Pennsylvania Attorney Consultation?
A Pittsburgh motorcyclist walked into his attorney consultation with nothing but a hospital discharge summary folded in his back pocket. Three weeks later, his case stalled because crucial police reports had been destroyed, witness contact information was lost, and the insurance adjuster had already recorded two conflicting statements. According to PennDOT's 2022 Crash Facts & Statistics, Pennsylvania law enforcement investigates over 125,000 reportable crashes annually—but crash reports expire from the state system after 10 years, and locating witnesses becomes exponentially harder after the first 30 days.
Your attorney consultation is not a casual conversation. It is the foundation of your entire legal strategy. Pennsylvania follows a modified comparative negligence rule under 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102, meaning if you share more than 50% of the fault, you recover nothing. A single misplaced document or forgotten detail can shift that liability calculation. The documents you bring determine whether your attorney can immediately identify case strengths, spot insurance coverage gaps, calculate damages accurately, and advise you on realistic timelines.
The Core Four: Non-Negotiable Documents for Every Consultation
These four categories form the skeleton of every personal injury case in Pennsylvania. Without them, your attorney is operating blind.
Police or Incident Reports
For motor vehicle collisions, the Pennsylvania crash report (Form AA-600) is your case's DNA. It contains:
- Officer narratives describing the scene
- Driver and witness statements
- Citations issued (which create rebuttable presumptions of negligence)
- Vehicle damage diagrams
- Road and weather conditions
Request your crash report from the investigating police department or through PennDOT's crash reporting system within 72 hours of your accident. In Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, reports may take 7-10 business days to process. For Slip and Fall incidents on commercial property, obtain any incident report filed by the property owner or manager—Pennsylvania premises liability cases turn on whether the owner had actual or constructive notice of the hazard, and incident reports often contain admissions that satisfy this element.
For Wrongful Death cases, secure the coroner's report and the medical examiner's findings. Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301, the wrongful death statute of limitations runs from the date of death, not the date of the underlying incident, but delay in obtaining autopsy results can create strategic problems.
Medical Records and Bills
Bring every piece of paper your healthcare providers have generated:
- Emergency room intake forms and triage notes
- Ambulance run reports (often overlooked but critical for establishing injury severity)
- Hospital admission and discharge summaries
- Physician office visit notes
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation records
- Prescription records and medication lists
- Diagnostic imaging reports (X-rays, CT scans, MRIs)
- Surgical operative reports
- Mental health treatment records if you're claiming emotional distress
Pennsylvania's limited-tort system under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1705 bars pain-and-suffering recovery unless you meet the "serious injury" threshold defined in 75 Pa.C.S. § 1702: death, serious impairment of body function, or permanent serious disfigurement. Medical records are the only evidence that proves you crossed that threshold. A radiologist's report showing a herniated disc supports a "serious impairment" argument; a discharge summary saying "soft tissue injury" does not.
Also bring every medical bill and explanation of benefits (EOB) from your health insurer. Pennsylvania operates under a "choice no-fault" system where your own auto insurance's first-party medical benefits under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1711 pay up to the minimum $5,000 (or higher if you selected greater coverage). Your attorney needs to track which bills were paid by which source to calculate your net economic loss and identify subrogation liens.
Insurance Policies and Correspondence
Bring copies of:
- Your own auto insurance declarations page (showing liability limits, UM/UIM coverage, medical benefits, and your limited-tort or full-tort election)
- The at-fault party's insurance information if known
- Any letters, emails, or recorded statement requests from insurance adjusters
- Homeowner's or renter's insurance if your accident occurred on property
- Umbrella policies
Pennsylvania mandates minimum auto coverage of 15/30/5 under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1701 et seq., but many at-fault drivers carry only these minimums. If you have underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, it may provide the bulk of your recovery. Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1738, Pennsylvania insurers must offer stacking (combining UM/UIM limits across multiple vehicles), but drivers can waive stacking using the specific statutory form. Your attorney needs to see your declarations page to determine if you signed a valid waiver or if the Sackett/Donovan/Franks line of cases invalidates it because the insurer failed to offer a new waiver after a policy change.
Never sign any document from an insurance adjuster before consulting an attorney. Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8371, insurers who act in bad faith—failing to conduct reasonable investigations, denying valid claims, or coercing settlements—face interest, punitive damages, and attorney fees.
Photographic and Video Evidence
Bring:
- Photos of vehicle damage from all angles
- Photos of your injuries (bruises, lacerations, surgical scars, casts, braces)
- Scene photos showing skid marks, debris, traffic controls, lighting conditions
- Photos of the defective product, dangerous condition, or Dog Bites injury
- Dashcam or surveillance footage if available
- Social media screenshots if the at-fault party posted admissions
Pennsylvania juries are visual. A photo of a crumpled front end is worth a thousand words about impact force. In Slip and Fall cases, a photo of a puddle with no warning cone can establish constructive notice. For Dog Bites, photos of puncture wounds and scarring are essential since Pennsylvania's dog law (3 P.S. § 459-502) strictly imposes only medical costs on owners; pain-and-suffering requires proving negligence, which photos of an unsecured animal help demonstrate.
Financial and Employment Documentation
Pennsylvania injury victims can recover economic damages (past and future lost earnings, medical costs, household services) and, if they meet the serious-injury threshold or held full tort, non-economic damages (pain, suffering, loss of life's pleasures). Your attorney needs numbers to calculate both.
Proof of Lost Income
Gather:
- Pay stubs covering the 3-6 months before your accident (establishing your baseline earnings)
- Tax returns (W-2s, 1099s, Schedule C if self-employed) for the past two years
- A letter from your employer confirming dates you missed work and whether you used sick leave, vacation, or unpaid leave
- Documentation of lost bonuses, commissions, or overtime opportunities
- For business owners: profit-and-loss statements, 1099s paid to you, evidence of contracts you couldn't fulfill
Pennsylvania law permits recovery of future lost earning capacity if your injury causes permanent disability. Bring your job description, performance reviews, and any career-advancement plans to help your attorney calculate this long-term loss.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Track every accident-related cost:
- Receipts for over-the-counter medications, medical devices (crutches, wheelchair, TENS unit)
- Mileage logs for medical appointments (use the IRS medical mileage rate)
- Home modification costs (wheelchair ramps, grab bars, stair lifts)
- Paid caregiver or house-cleaning receipts if you couldn't perform daily tasks
These "incidental" damages often total thousands. A Reading woman who broke her hip in a Truck Accidents collision spent $14,000 on a first-floor bedroom conversion because she couldn't climb stairs. That became part of her economic damages.
Witness and Contact Information
Witness memories fade. Contact information changes. Bring a written list containing:
- Full names, phone numbers, and addresses of everyone who saw the accident
- Names of passengers in your vehicle
- Names of bystanders who stopped to help
- Contact information for the at-fault party if not in the police report
- Business names and manager contact information for commercial premises accidents
In a Harrisburg pedestrian crash, the only independent witness was a delivery driver who didn't wait for police. The victim had snapped a photo of the driver's truck and company logo. That detail allowed the attorney to track down the witness two months later, and his testimony proved the driver ran a red light.
Timeline and Personal Journal
Memory is unreliable under stress. Before your consultation, write a chronological narrative of:
- What you were doing immediately before the accident
- The accident itself (sights, sounds, sensations)
- Your immediate injuries and pain level
- Emergency response (ambulance, police, fire)
- Hospital treatment
- Ongoing symptoms and how they affect daily life
- Every conversation with insurance adjusters (date, time, what was said)
If you've kept a pain journal or diary since the accident, bring it. Entries like "couldn't sleep due to back spasms," "missed daughter's recital because of pain," or "had to ask neighbor to mow lawn" humanize your suffering and provide contemporaneous evidence of non-economic damages.
Specialized Documents by Case Type
Some accidents require industry-specific records.
Car Accidents and Truck Accidents
- Vehicle registration and title
- Repair estimates or total-loss valuations
- Rental car receipts
- For commercial trucks: the driver's logbooks, maintenance records, and the carrier's FMCSA safety rating (your attorney will subpoena these, but note the trucking company name and DOT number from the truck's door placard)
Motorcycle Accidents
- Your motorcycle endorsement (Class M license)
- Helmet and gear receipts (Pennsylvania's helmet law under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3525 applies to riders under 21 and those with less than two years' experience; defense attorneys may argue contributory negligence if you weren't wearing appropriate gear)
- Note: motorcycles are generally exempt from carrying first-party medical benefits under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1711, so your health insurance becomes primary
Wrongful Death
- Death certificate
- Funeral and burial receipts
- Estate-administration documents (letters testamentary or letters of administration)
- Proof of relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificates of children)
- Decedent's tax returns and pay stubs (to calculate lost financial support)
- Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301, only the personal representative may bring a wrongful death action, so bring proof of your appointment
Slip and Fall
- Photos of the hazard before it was corrected
- Any written communication with the property owner about the hazard
- Prior complaints by other people (if you're aware of them)
- Footwear you wore (defense attorneys love to argue stiletto heels or worn-out soles contributed to the fall)
Dog Bites
- Photos of the dog
- The dog owner's name and address
- Dog license information
- Any prior-bite history (ask neighbors, check with local animal control)
- Vaccination records if the owner provided them
- Pennsylvania's dog law imposes strict liability for medical costs but requires negligence for pain and suffering, so evidence the owner knew the dog was aggressive is critical
What NOT to Bring: Common Consultation Mistakes
Avoid these pitfalls:
- Disorganized piles of paper: Your attorney will spend billable time sorting instead of analyzing. Organize documents chronologically or by category.
- Only photocopies of key records: Bring originals when possible, or high-quality scans. Blurry, cropped, or incomplete documents are useless.
- Recorded statements or signed authorizations you already gave the insurance company: You can't un-ring that bell, but disclose them immediately so your attorney can assess the damage.
- Expectations of immediate settlement numbers: No competent attorney will quote a case value at a first consultation. Pennsylvania's comparative negligence rule, the serious-injury threshold, and insurance coverage disputes create too many variables.
- A relative or friend's legal opinion: Your brother-in-law's cousin who "went through this" is not helpful. Every case is different.
Pre-Consultation Checklist: A Summary Table
| Document Category | Specific Items | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Incident Reports | Police crash report (AA-600), premises incident report, coroner's report | Establishes liability, preserves witness statements, documents scene conditions |
| Medical Records | ER records, hospital charts, physician notes, imaging reports, bills, prescriptions | Proves injury severity, satisfies serious-injury threshold, calculates economic damages |
| Insurance | Your declarations page, at-fault party's info, all adjuster correspondence | Identifies coverage sources, UIM stacking eligibility, bad-faith evidence |
| Visual Evidence | Photos of vehicles, injuries, scene, surveillance video, dashcam footage | Persuades juries, contradicts defense narratives, establishes conditions |
| Financial Records | Pay stubs, tax returns, employer letters, out-of-pocket receipts | Calculates lost wages and future earning capacity, proves economic loss |
| Witness Information | Names, phone numbers, addresses of all witnesses | Preserves testimony before memories fade or people relocate |
| Timeline/Journal | Written chronology, pain diary, daily-activity log | Humanizes your suffering, provides contemporaneous evidence of impact |
| Case-Specific | Death certificates, dog licenses, truck DOT numbers, footwear, etc. | Addresses unique legal elements of your claim type |
How Your Attorney Will Use These Documents
Within the first consultation, an experienced Pennsylvania injury attorney will:
- Evaluate liability: Pennsylvania's 51% bar means even a strong injury case fails if you bear more fault. Police reports, witness statements, and photos let your attorney assess who caused the accident.
- Confirm coverage: The at-fault driver's insurance might be $15,000 (the state minimum), but your UIM coverage might be $100,000 stacked. This changes settlement strategy entirely.
- Calculate damages: Medical bills, lost wages, and future treatment costs form your economic damages. The serious-injury threshold determines whether you can add non-economic damages.
- Identify statute-of-limitations deadlines: Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524, you generally have two years from the injury date to file suit. For claims against government entities, 42 Pa.C.S. § 8501 et seq. requires six months' written notice. Your attorney marks these deadlines immediately.
- Spot insurance bad faith: If an adjuster demanded a recorded statement within 48 hours of your accident or offered a low-ball settlement before you finished treatment, your attorney may pursue a separate bad-faith claim under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8371.
- Plan discovery: Your documents reveal which records need subpoenaing—trucking company logbooks, bar receipts in a dram-shop case, property-owner maintenance logs.
Questions to Ask During Your Consultation
You're interviewing the attorney as much as they're evaluating your case. Bring a written list:
- Do I meet Pennsylvania's serious-injury threshold for pain-and-suffering recovery?
- Am I limited tort or full tort, and does an exception apply?
- What is the realistic range of my case value?
- How long will this process take?
- What is your fee structure? (Most injury attorneys work on contingency—typically 33% if settled before suit, 40% if litigation is filed.)
- Will you handle my case personally or pass it to an associate?
- How often will you update me?
- What happens if the at-fault party has no insurance? (Your UM coverage becomes critical.)
- Do you see any weaknesses in my case?
- What are the next steps?
Take notes. If the attorney guarantees a specific outcome, run—Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit such assurances.
Digital Documents: Modern Alternatives to Paper Stacks
Many Pennsylvania attorneys now accept:
- Cloud-storage links (Google Drive, Dropbox) with folders organized by category
- Scanned PDFs emailed before the consultation (call ahead to confirm)
- Secure client-portal uploads (some firms provide these)
Digital submission has advantages: your attorney can review records before you arrive, making the consultation more productive. However, always bring a backup USB drive or printed copies in case of technical issues.
If You Don't Have Everything: Prioritize These Three
Life is chaotic after an accident. If you can only gather three things before your consultation, make them:
- The police or incident report (liability foundation)
- Your most recent medical records and bills (proves injury and treatment)
- Your auto insurance declarations page (identifies coverage)
Your attorney can help obtain other records through subpoenas and authorizations, but these three allow an initial case evaluation.
Special Considerations for Pennsylvania Claims Against Government Entities
If a PennDOT plow truck hit you in Scranton, or you tripped on a broken Erie sidewalk, bring everything listed above PLUS evidence you complied with 42 Pa.C.S. § 8501 et seq. Pennsylvania has sovereign immunity, meaning government entities are generally not liable except for specific exceptions (vehicle accidents, dangerous roadway conditions, defective traffic controls). You must give written notice to the government entity within six months, and you must file suit within two years. Bring proof you sent the notice (certified mail receipt) and copies of the notice itself.
Key Takeaways
- Police reports and medical records are non-negotiable: These establish liability and injury severity, the two pillars of every personal injury claim.
- Your insurance declarations page determines coverage strategy: Pennsylvania's limited-tort system, UM/UIM stacking rules, and first-party medical benefits under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1711 all hinge on what your policy says.
- Visual evidence persuades juries: Photos of vehicle damage, injuries, and scene conditions often decide close liability cases under Pennsylvania's 51% comparative-negligence bar.
- Financial documentation calculates damages: Lost wages, future earning capacity, and out-of-pocket expenses require paper proof.
- Organize your documents chronologically or by category: A manila folder labeled "Medical" containing a jumble of receipts wastes your attorney's time and your money if you're billed hourly for a follow-up.
- Witness information expires quickly: People move, memories fade, and contact information changes. Secure names and numbers immediately.
- Case-specific documents matter: Dog Bites cases need vaccination records; Truck Accidents cases need DOT numbers; Wrongful Death cases need estate-administration documents.
- Never sign insurance forms before consulting an attorney: Recorded statements and medical authorizations can torpedo your case before it starts.
Talk to a Pennsylvania Injury Attorney
A well-prepared consultation transforms your attorney from a skeptical evaluator into a strategic partner. Walking into that first meeting with organized, comprehensive documentation signals you're serious about your case and dramatically improves the quality of legal advice you receive.
PennsylvaniaAccidentAid.com connects injured Pennsylvania residents with experienced local attorneys who understand the state's modified comparative negligence rules, limited-tort complexities, and insurance coverage nuances. Whether your accident happened in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, or any Pennsylvania community, get matched with an attorney who can evaluate your case accurately—but only if you bring the documents they need. Start by gathering your records today, because every day of delay makes your case harder to prove and your recovery less certain.
Related Pennsylvania Guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important document to bring to a Pennsylvania injury attorney consultation?
The police crash report (Form AA-600 for vehicle accidents) is the single most critical document. Pennsylvania law enforcement records establish who was cited, what each party said at the scene, witness contact information, and road conditions—all before memories fade or stories change. For premises accidents, bring any incident report filed by the property owner. These reports form the liability foundation of your case. Under Pennsylvania's modified comparative negligence rule in 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102, if you share more than 50% of fault, you recover nothing, so early documentation of the other party's responsibility is essential. Police reports also contain officer observations that may support your version of events even if the other driver later changes their story to the insurance company.
Do I need medical records if I only went to the emergency room once?
Yes, absolutely. Even a single ER visit generates critical records: triage notes documenting your pain level and symptoms immediately after the accident, physician examination findings, diagnostic test results, treatment provided, prescriptions issued, and discharge instructions. These records prove causation—that the accident caused your injuries—which Pennsylvania defendants routinely challenge. Additionally, if you elected limited tort under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1705, you must prove a 'serious injury' under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1702 to recover pain-and-suffering damages. ER records showing serious impairment of body function or permanent disfigurement meet that threshold. Even if you later treated with your primary doctor or a specialist, the ER records establish the immediate post-accident baseline that connects all subsequent treatment to the incident.
What insurance information does a Pennsylvania attorney need at the first consultation?
Bring your complete auto insurance declarations page showing your liability limits, underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage amounts, first-party medical benefits (minimum $5,000 under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1711), and—critically—whether you elected limited tort or full tort under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1705. Also bring the at-fault party's insurance information if known. Pennsylvania's minimum required coverage is only 15/30/5, meaning many at-fault drivers carry inadequate insurance. Your attorney must immediately determine if your UIM coverage can compensate for the defendant's low limits. Additionally, under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1738, Pennsylvania insurers must offer stacking (combining UM/UIM across multiple vehicles), and whether you have stacked or unstacked coverage can multiply your available compensation. Your declarations page also shows any medical-payments coverage and whether you signed a valid stacking waiver, which the Sackett line of cases sometimes invalidates.
How far back should I bring medical records for my Pennsylvania injury case?
Bring all medical records from the date of your accident forward, plus any records from the 3-5 years before the accident that relate to the injured body part. For example, if you claim a back injury from a car crash, but you treated for back pain two years earlier, the defense will argue you have a pre-existing condition. Pennsylvania law allows recovery for aggravation of a pre-existing condition, but your attorney needs the prior records to address this defense proactively. Include records from every provider who treated your accident injuries: emergency rooms, primary care physicians, specialists, chiropractors, physical therapists, and mental health professionals if you're claiming emotional distress. Also bring prescription records showing pain medications, because defense attorneys use prescription-opioid use to argue you're exaggerating pain or had substance-abuse issues unrelated to the accident.
Can a Pennsylvania attorney get my documents if I don't have them?
Yes, attorneys can obtain most records through signed authorizations and subpoenas, but this takes weeks or months and delays your case evaluation. Police crash reports require requests to the investigating department or PennDOT, which can take 7-14 days. Medical records require HIPAA authorizations sent to each provider, and hospitals often take 30-60 days to respond (and charge copying fees). The at-fault driver's insurance information may require waiting for their adjuster to contact you, or filing a John Doe lawsuit to conduct discovery. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania's statute of limitations under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524 runs for only two years, and witness memories fade. Bringing organized documents to your first consultation allows your attorney to evaluate your case immediately, identify time-sensitive issues like expiring insurance notice requirements, and begin building your claim while evidence is fresh.
What should I bring if the other driver had no insurance in Pennsylvania?
Bring your own auto insurance declarations page showing your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage limits under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1738. In Pennsylvania, your UM coverage steps in when an at-fault driver has no insurance, paying for your injuries up to your policy limits. Also bring any written statement from the police report or the other driver admitting they had no insurance, and proof you reported the accident to your own insurer within the time required by your policy (usually 24-72 hours). If the uninsured driver gave you any personal contact information or vehicle registration, bring that as well—your attorney may pursue a personal judgment against them, though collecting from an uninsured defendant is difficult. Additionally, bring documentation of any first-party medical benefits paid by your insurer, because Pennsylvania's $5,000 minimum med-pay under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1711 pays regardless of fault, and your attorney must track these payments when calculating your net recovery.
Do I need photos of my injuries for a Pennsylvania attorney consultation?
Yes, photos are powerful evidence that medical records alone cannot provide. Bring photos of visible injuries—bruises, lacerations, swelling, surgical scars, casts, braces—taken as close to the accident date as possible and throughout your recovery. Pennsylvania juries are visual, and a photo of a gruesome laceration or a post-surgical scar helps them understand your pain and disfigurement in ways that a surgeon's operative note cannot. For limited-tort plaintiffs under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1705, photos proving permanent serious disfigurement can satisfy the serious-injury threshold and unlock pain-and-suffering damages. Also bring photos of vehicle damage (demonstrating impact severity), the accident scene (showing road hazards, lack of traffic controls, or visibility issues), and any defective product or dangerous condition that caused your injury. Defense attorneys will claim your injuries are minor; contemporaneous photos refute that argument before it starts.
What financial documents do Pennsylvania injury attorneys need to calculate lost wages?
Bring pay stubs covering the 3-6 months before your accident (establishing your pre-injury earnings baseline), tax returns (W-2s, 1099s, or Schedule C if self-employed) for the past two years, and a letter from your employer on company letterhead stating the dates you missed work, whether you used paid time off or unpaid leave, and any lost bonuses, commissions, or overtime. If you're self-employed, bring profit-and-loss statements, bank statements showing business income, and evidence of contracts or projects you couldn't fulfill due to your injuries. Pennsylvania law allows recovery of future lost earning capacity if your injury causes permanent disability, so also bring your job description, recent performance reviews, and any career-advancement plans. For household services you couldn't perform—childcare, lawn care, housecleaning—bring receipts if you paid someone, or a log of hours spent by family members, valued at the market rate for those services.
How long after my Pennsylvania accident should I schedule an attorney consultation?
Schedule your consultation within the first two weeks after your accident, even if you're still treating. Pennsylvania's statute of limitations under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524 gives you two years to file suit, but waiting weeks or months creates problems: witness memories fade, physical evidence disappears, insurance companies record statements before you're represented, and your own recollection of details blurs. For claims against government entities, 42 Pa.C.S. § 8501 requires six months' written notice, so delay can forfeit your claim entirely. Additionally, insurance adjusters often contact victims within days offering quick settlements that severely undervalue claims—signing a release before consulting an attorney means you waive all future compensation even if complications arise later. An early consultation doesn't obligate you to hire that attorney, but it preserves your rights, documents time-sensitive facts, and ensures you don't inadvertently harm your case by giving recorded statements or accepting inadequate settlements during a vulnerable period.
What should I do if the insurance adjuster asked me to sign a medical authorization before my attorney consultation?
Do not sign anything the insurance adjuster sends you before consulting a Pennsylvania attorney. Medical authorizations allow the insurer to access your entire medical history—including records unrelated to the accident—and they often use prior injuries, mental health treatment, or prescriptions to argue you had pre-existing conditions or are exaggerating your current injuries. Under Pennsylvania law, you must cooperate with your own insurer's reasonable requests, but the at-fault party's insurer has no right to your medical records until you file a lawsuit and formal discovery begins. Bring any authorization forms or correspondence from adjusters to your consultation so your attorney can review them. If you already signed an authorization, disclose this immediately—your attorney may be able to revoke it or limit its scope, though some damage may be done. Pennsylvania's bad-faith statute, 42 Pa.C.S. § 8371, penalizes insurers who use coercive tactics, so documenting early pressure to sign authorizations may support a separate bad-faith claim if the insurer later denies your legitimate claim.