Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance is a mandatory type of insurance that covers the injured policyholder’s medical expenses and lost wages in the event of a car crash in Boca Raton. While PIP coverage is optional in most states, Florida is one of the states that require motorists to carry this type of insurance.
Often, PIP insurance – also known as no-fault insurance in Florida – may overlap with your health insurance. However, the use of both insurance policies may be recommended if PIP coverage is not sufficient to cover your medical bills and lost wages.
What is Personal Injury Protection (PIP)?
In the event of an auto accident, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) covers your medical bills for the insured and any passengers in your vehicle who do not have a policy on their own. This type of insurance also extends to accidents in which you are a passenger in a vehicle driven by someone else or when you are struck by a car as a pedestrian or bicyclist.
The biggest difference between PIP insurance and bodily injury liability insurance in Florida is that the latter covers the medical expenses of people who were hurt in a car crash that was caused by your negligence. PIP insurance, on the other hand, pays for your own medical expenses regardless of who was at fault.
PIP insurance is part of the auto insurance policy, which means it covers injuries related to car accidents. Car-related injuries are often excluded from traditional health insurance policies.
What Does PIP Insurance Cover in Florida?
In Florida, Boca Raton Personal Injury Protection insurance covers medical bills, loss of income, and death benefits. Unlike in most other states, PIP insurance in Florida allows the policyholder to choose whether they want the benefits to extend to other people in their household or cover only themselves.
- Medical costs. In Florida, PIP insurance will cover only 80% of your medical bills. In other words, if your personal injury costs you $5,000 in medical costs, PIP will cover only $4,000. Also, PIP coverage is limited to only $2,500 if medical treatment begins within 14 days after the accident, but your injury is not considered an “emergency medical condition.”
- Lost wages. If your car accident injury prevents you from working, PIP will cover 60% of your lost wages, but no more than $10,000. Also, the lost wages benefits extend to services a disabled person cannot do because of their injury, including laundry, cleaning, and other chores.
- Death benefits. In the event of the policyholder’s death, PIP insurance covers their burial and funeral expenses as well as medical costs prior to the death and lost wages. These benefits are limited to $5,000 and are paid to the next of kin of the deceased person.
PIP Insurance and Your Right to Sue to Recover Additional Damages
While PIP insurance is no-fault insurance, there is a way to sue the other party involved in your accident to seek compensation for their damages and losses. In Florida, a person whose medical expenses exceed their policy limit (the minimum requirement is $10,000 in the state) are eligible to file a lawsuit against the other driver to recover additional damages.
Thus, if your accident-related injury totaled $15,000 worth of medical costs, you may be able to sue the other party for the remaining $5,000 that were not covered by your PIP insurance. Also, you may be able to recover pain and suffering and other non-economic damages. Speak with our Boca Raton personal injury attorneys to discuss your particular case. Contact Ged Lawyers, LLP, to schedule a consultation and talk about your options. Call at 561-995-1966.
