A Philadelphia County crash case is heard in one of two courts, both part of the First Judicial District. Smaller civil claims go to Philadelphia Municipal Court. Larger ones go to the Court of Common Pleas, Trial Division-Civil, often through compulsory arbitration when the amount in controversy is $50,000 or less. Details are in our courthouse guide, and on the court’s own civil page and Municipal Court page.
Philadelphia Municipal Court, Civil Division
Under section 1123 of Title 42, Municipal Court may hear civil actions, including trespass claims such as a crash case, where the sum demanded does not exceed $12,000, exclusive of interest and costs. A plaintiff may waive part of a larger claim to fit that limit. The Civil Division is at 1339 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19107, telephone 215-686-2910. The court lists weekday business hours of 8 a.m., closing at 5 p.m. Do not go to the Criminal Division at the Stout Center to start an injury case.
Court of Common Pleas, Trial Division-Civil
The Civil Filing Center is in Room 296, City Hall. Hours on the civil page are from 9 a.m., closing at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. The contact block for Trial Division-Civil is Room 266, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19107, telephone 215-686-6652, with weekday business hours of 9 a.m., closing at 5 p.m. The court’s civil page states that the section has jurisdiction over civil claims involving amounts in excess of $10,000.
Compulsory arbitration
Civil actions filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County with an amount in controversy of $50,000 or less, excluding equitable actions and claims to real estate, are assigned to compulsory arbitration. Hearings are held at the Arbitration Center, 1880 JFK Boulevard, 5th Floor, telephone (215) 686-9590, before a panel of three court-certified attorneys.
The suburban counties
Outside Philadelphia, section 1515 gives magisterial district judges civil jurisdiction, including trespass, where the sum demanded does not exceed $12,000, exclusive of interest and costs. Larger cases go to that county’s Court of Common Pleas. Our area pages name the county for each town when official address geocoding makes the county clear. Call the court that would hear the case before you travel, because hours and filing rooms change.