In Florida, personal injury protection—also called PIP—is insurance that everyone is required to have in order to operate a motor vehicle. In many cases, PIP is the primary insurance that anyone injured in a crash will go to first. If an at-fault motorist hits a person and causes damage, the first $10,000 in medical insurance will come from their own PIP and their own hospital will accept insurance as payment for their bills and records.
After their first $10,000 has been exhausted, they can turn to the at-fault party’s insurance company for a claim for their injuries and damages. That is why it is sometimes referred to as no-fault insurance because they do not have to show that the other side was at fault or the injured person was at fault.
Are Personal Injury Protection and No-Fault Insurance the Same?
PIP and no-fault insurance are synonymous. Drivers are required to have PIP or no-fault insurance on every motor vehicle insurance policy in the state of Florida, and they are not able to register or license a vehicle for operation on the roadways without it. Medical payments insurance is slightly different, however. Often, this is an optional insurance policy and can be used in addition to standard PIP coverage.
What is Covered Under PIP in St. Petersburg?
PIP insurance covers medical expenses and lost as a result of motor vehicle accidents. This means that, in most scenarios, the hospital bills a person will accrue after a crash will be paid from their PIP insurance coverage.
In many cases, because hospital bills can be so high, especially after severe injuries, their PIP will be exhausted or paid entirely to the hospital. In other cases, however, a person’s hospital bills will not exceed the $10,000 maximum, because their hospital is only checking them out to make sure they do not have internal or serious injuries. If a person has to miss work to recover, they can also present lost wages as a claim under PIP with any remaining amount left over after their medical expense coverage.
Important Things to Know About PIP Coverage
If someone is struck and injured in a car crash due to the sole fault of another person, the at-fault motorist’s insurance does not necessarily pay for the damages in Florida. This is why it is crucial to have adequate coverage so that a person can still recover damages.
In fact, anyone with PIP coverage could be entitled to receive compensation for a crash, even if they were at fault. Because of the nuances of these laws, anyone who has been injured in a car collision or crash should consider reaching out to a lawyer for assistance. A knowledgeable attorney could answer your questions, explain your rights, and help to determine how to best proceed.
