What is PIP?
Personal Injury Protection insurance, also known as PIP coverage or no-fault insurance, is an extension of auto insurance that covers reasonable medical costs such as surgical and ambulance fees, rehabilitation therapies, any x-rays or other medical imaging, prosthetic devices, and professional nursing, dental or eye treatments that are needed as the result of a motor vehicle accident. Personal injury protection covers these things regardless of who is at fault in the accident, which is why it is often called no-fault insurance. In some cases, it even covers lost wages or funeral expenses if the accident results in the loss of life.
Do I have to have PIP?
Depending on the state that you live in, PIP may be an available option, or a required policy add-on. There are 13 states that require PIP coverage:
- The District of Columbia
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Dakota
- Pennsylvania
- Utah
What does PIP not cover?
Personal Injury Protection does not cover non MVA related injuries, property damage to others including their vehicle, the damage to your vehicle after an at fault accident, or the damage to your vehicle after a non-collision event.
When can I file a PIP claim?
Personal injury protection insurance provides coverage of costs that incur within three years of an accident, however, it is recommended that you open the PIP claim with the insurance as soon as you are aware of the full extent of your injuries. What do you need to file a PIP claim? The insurance requests will include all relevant receipts, medical bills, records, and documentation of payments if payments were made on any medical bills. Providing these things all together allows the insurance adjuster that is assigned to the claim to review everything and process it in a timely manner.
How much PIP insurance can I get?
This again depends upon the state you reside in. Michigan, for example, does not have a policy limit on PIP insurance. Texas requires that every driver is offered at least $2,500 of PIP insurance, however you do not have to have PIP. Instead, you can have a PIP denial letter which states that you reject carrying PIP coverage. The policy limits for PIP in Texas is $10,000.
Who can PIP cover?
PIP covers you, and can also cover the passengers in your vehicle if there are injuries. The policy limit extends to each person that is injured in an MVA accident and it refers to the total amount of benefits available across all expenses.
If you have more questions about this, contact a motor vehicle accident lawyer, like a motor vehicle accident lawyer in Dallas, TX, to get more information.
Thanks to Brandy Austin Law Firm, PLLC for their insight into what you need to know about personal injury protection.
