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What Is Personal Injury Protection Coverage?

By Staff Reporter | Update Date: May 26, 2020 10:52 PM EDT
What Is Personal Injury Protection Coverage?

(Photo : What Is Personal Injury Protection Coverage?)

When it comes time to renew your current insurance policy, or you are researching new policies (or if you have been in an accident and need to know how you are going to pay for your injuries), you may find yourself wondering what Personal Injury Protection Coverage, known as PIP, and what it is for. Read below to get a better idea of what this coverage entails, and why it is important to add this coverage if it is optional in your state. In Florida, for example, PIP is mandatory-which is good, considering that 1 in 4 Florida drivers do not have car insurance. 

If you are wondering about whether or not you should use your Personal Injury Protection coverage after an accident that someone else caused, stop reading and contact a lawyer as soon as possible. Fasig & Brooks Law Office has an extensive history of successful cases representing clients in car accident cases, and reliable legal support is one of the best ways to ensure that you get the compensation that you rightfully deserve after someone else causes your injuries.

What is PIP Coverage?

PIP coverage is a portion of your auto insurance that covers medical expenses-and often lost wages-after a car accident, regardless of who was at fault. In Florida, PIP is a required type of coverage, and in a state with so many uninsured drivers (Florida leads the country in this unfortunate statistic), it makes sense that you need this type of protection.

What Does PIP Coverage Include?

There is a range of things that are covered by your PIP, which can be extremely helpful in a range of situations. The following are some of the most common, but realistically you should speak with an attorney to understand the best way to use this protection after an accident, especially one that someone else is at fault for. 

  • Health insurance deductibles

  • Expenses in excess of your insurance policy limits

  • Lost wages in certain cases

  • Any services that you need to hire that you would normally have done yourself (child care, driving, grocery shopping, etc)

  • Funeral costs

Of course, these bullet points are only a high-level example of the type of coverage that you may be entitled to in the event that you must use this area of your policy. 

Should You Use PIP In Every Accident?

Using your PIP coverage is very convenient, and is a great way to avoid having to deal with the back-and-forth that comes with trying to get a fair amount from an insurance company. However, using your own coverage may have an impact on your insurance premium-even though using this protection does not require determining whether or not you were at fault for the crash.

If you were in an accident that someone else caused, the best way to get the protection you deserve is to work with a personal injury attorney so that you can get fully compensated by the other driver's insurance policy. PIP provides a limited range of compensation but does not take into account such things as the actual pain and suffering of your injuries, the trauma of your accident, and other damages that are covered under "non-economic damages" in a lawsuit or claim. However, if you are at fault for the accident it is best that you use this coverage to ensure that you are able to pay for the costs associated with the accident. This is not intended to be a cut and dry suggestion of when you should or should not use this protection; your situation is unique and requires a close look in order to determine the best path forward.

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* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of counselheal.com

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