What Is PIP Insurance?
Not familiar with the term PIP insurance? You aren’t alone. Yet, all Floridians with a car registered in the state are required to carry at least $10,000 of PIP insurance. This requirement is specified in the traffic and motor vehicle laws of the state, and failure to have such insurance can result in administrative fines. If you own a vehicle in Florida you are required to carry PIP insurance for your vehicle. However, many are not aware of what it actually covers. Let’s start with what exactly this auto insurance is and provides you after a Florida car accident.
How Is PIP Insurance Different from Other Auto Insurance?
Car accidents are expensive. The cost of personal injury, property damage, and ancillary losses can quickly amount to several thousands of dollars. As in other states, Floridians rely on auto insurance to cover part or all of the expenses to repair a vehicle, pay emergency and medical bills, and repay lost wages. However, Florida is one of ten states in the U.S. that requires auto insurance on a no-fault basis.
In most states, the at-fault driver’s insurance company provides protection for personal injuries after a motor vehicle accident. There is an inquiry into the cause and circumstances of the accident. In certain cases, the time frame from the day of accident until that at-fault driver’s insurance payout is months long. Florida offers an alternative with PIP insurance.
Policies in Florida cover drivers up to $10,000 in immediate coverage for personal injuries. PIP insurance is provided on a no-fault basis. This means that even if you are not at fault for the accident your PIP insurance will cover up to $10,000.00 for medical bills and wage loss. PIP insurance doesn’t cover the cost of property damage, including damage to your motor vehicle. Instead, Florida law requires a separate insurance policy for these costs and losses.
If you carry PIP insurance, your insurance company will cover the costs of injuries for you, and in some instances any passengers in the vehicle at the time.
What Do You Need for a PIP Insurance Claim?
While Florida’s PIP insurance policies aren’t based on fault, you do need certain evidence of the accident for a claim, including the police report from the incident. An insurance company will look to a police report to determine the circumstances and gravity of the accident. When filing a PIP insurance claim, the police report confirms the identity of the driver and passengers, vehicles involved in the accident, and often, the extent of injuries known at the scene.
In addition to a police report or accident report, you also want to provide documentation of emergency services, medical bills, and rehabilitation. As PIP insurance is specific to personal injuries, these reports are going to provide the bulk of evidence for your claim.
Additionally in Florida to be eligible for the totality of your benefits, if you are injured in an automobile accident, you need to seek medical treatment within 14 days from the day of the accident.
Be certain to include any notes or recommendations from a medical practitioner, and in particular those that confirm the cause of your injuries. .
Other evidence, such as photographs at the scene, pictures of your injuries, and eyewitness reports are also helpful for your claim with a PIP insurance company. A Florida personal injury lawyer can help you assemble the appropriate documentation and other proof for your claim.
Contacting a Florida Personal Injury Lawyer
Do you have other questions about PIP insurance or the repercussions of an auto accident in Florida? Our personal injury legal team at Mooneeram + Serres + Vivanco, P.A is ready to answer your questions and start your case in a free and confidential initial consultation. To schedule a conversation with one of our lawyers, call (305) 847-9030 or send us a message via email at [email protected].
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