PERSONAL INJURY PROTECTION (PIP)
What is PIP? PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection and under Florida law it is required that every vehicle owner maintain $10,000 worth of PIP insurance coverage. This is the statutory amount required and is No-Fault insurance governed by the insurance contract and the Florida PIP statute. The Florida PIP statute was recently amended in 2013 and there are many nuances which govern the rights and liabilities of the insured and the insurance company.
Your PIP insurance will cover your claim if the accident was in the State of Florida or you were traveling in your insured vehicle out of the State of Florida. Your PIP will also cover your child, members of your household, certain passengers who lack PIP Insurance as long as they do not own a vehicle. People riding in your vehicle who carry PIP will receive coverage under their own PIP for their injuries, and certain licensed drivers who drive your vehicle with your permission. PIP also covers your child if he or she suffers an injury while riding on a school bus. PIP coverage protects you while in someone else’s vehicle, as a pedestrian, or bicyclist if you suffer an injury in a crash involving a motor vehicle.
The Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law, requires all owner/registrants of a motor vehicle with four wheels or more to carry a minimum of $10,000 of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and $10,000 of property damage liability (PDL) if you own a motor vehicle in Florida. Florida law requires you to maintain PIP/PDL insurance continuously throughout the licensing and registration period.
What do you need to know about PIP insurance and how it may affect your claim?
- PIP benefits are paid by your own insurance company if you are in an accident, regardless of whether you are at fault or not. This is what is meant by Florida being a No-Fault insurance State.
- PIP insurance pays for 80% of your medical bills as long as they are reasonable, related to the care accident and medically necessary and 60% of your lost wages, up to $10,000. This means, you have insurance coverage for your own medical expenses and lost wages. IN order to recover the remainder of any out of pocket expenses from the driver that caused the accident, you will need to make a claim against that person and their insurance company.
- PIP covers any accident or injury that involves the use, operation or maintenance of a vehicle, even if you are on a bicycle or a pedestrian and are injured by a vehicle.
- Because PIP benefits are paid for by an insurance company, sometimes there is a dispute regarding payment. In the event there is not full compliance with the Law or insurance policy, the Whitehead Law Group will represent you (or your medical care provider) against the insurance company to seek payment of these benefits. We work on a contingency fee basis, and in the event of a recovery, the insurance company will be responsible for payment of our reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. Therefore, there is no out of pocket expense incurred by you in retaining our legal services!
