The ride to a hospital after a car accident can cost upwards of $2,000. A visit to the emergency room will run you about $1,500. Then you have to take into account any additional doctor or hospital visits as you recover.
Needless to say, hospital bills can get expensive. If you want to avoid going bankrupt after an accident, then personal injury protection comes in handy. However, auto insurance policies don’t always offer the kind of help that you may need.
- It’s Required in 12 States
What is personal injury protection (PIP), and is it needed in every state?
First of all, it’s important to know that PIP is a type of car insurance. It covers expenses related to your personal injuries, such as medical bills and lost wages.
Everyone in the associated vehicle is protected, even if they caused the accident. As such, it’s also known as “no-fault” insurance.
PIP auto insurance is currently required in only 12 states. PIP coverage is not offered in 31 states, and 7 states have it as optional.
Florida is one of the states that require PIP coverage, and it’s also known as a “no-fault” state. That means that no one is held responsible for an accident unless the damages exceed what your policy can cover or if you suffered a serious injury.
In one of the 31 “at-fault” states, someone must be found responsible for an accident. Delaware is the only PIP state that also requires that someone be held responsible, even if you also need to have coverage for your own injuries.
If a driver without PIP coverage gets into an accident, they will be solely responsible for their own medical bills. Only in the extreme case that they suffer a serious injury can they request compensation from an at-fault driver.
- There’s a Time Limit After an Accident
In Florida, there’s a time limit associated with personal injury protection coverage. The official deadline is 14 days after a traffic accident. Failure to seek medical care within those two weeks may waive your right to any PIP benefits.
Additionally, medical care must be provided by a licensed physician of some kind. This includes a visit to a dentist, emergency transportation, and a facility owned by a hospital.
You can have follow-up services related to the injury as long as they’re consistent with the reported injury. It’s important to get checked out as early as possible even if you’re feeling perfectly fine.
Keep in mind that you have more time when filing a normal car insurance claim. The statute of limitations when filing a claim against an at-fault driver is four years.
- Difference in Benefits Based on Medical Condition
How much of your PIP benefits you can qualify for will depend on the seriousness of your condition.
In most cases, people can only get up to $2,500 in PIP benefits. That should be more than enough to cover a ride in an ambulance and a visit to the ER.
If you want to get more than that, you’ll need an official diagnosis of an emergency medical condition. This can be anything from severe leg damage to internal organ damage. It’s also defined as a condition that could seriously jeopardize a patient’s health or mobility if left untreated.
Anyone that has an emergency medical condition can receive up to the full $10,000 in PIP benefits. A licensed physician must make that determination for a patient to qualify. Chiropractors are not included in that process at all.
- What it Covers
Personal injury protection insurance covers any financial losses that directly result from medical bills or lost wages after an auto accident. This includes things like the ambulance ride and whatever money you’ve lost after an extended stay at the hospital.
In “no-fault” states, PIP serves as an extension to your normal auto insurance policy. Some states have it as an optional supplemental form of insurance. As such, the benefits gained through it are separate from the benefits that go towards your vehicle repairs.
Massage and acupuncture are not covered. Even if these treatments have been proven to help, you’ll have to pay out of pocket.
People with pre-existing conditions may receive compensation if the accident made them worse. Victims can also receive compensation for mental health conditions like anxiety or PTSD that were aggravated by the accident.
However, it’s important to consult a personal injury attorney before reaching out to your insurance company. The company may try to deny a claim depending on the type of pre-existing condition.
- May Require Additional Examinations
In many cases, getting confirmation from your physician may not be enough to qualify for coverage after an accident.
They could require you to get additional examinations from physicians that you’ve never seen before. They’ll also require you to undergo that examination under oath or face denial of your benefits.
You’ll need to meet their requirements if you wish to receive coverage. Usually, this is sped up if you’ve visited the hospital immediately after an accident and they’ve well-documented your injury. That’s why it’s important to seek medical care right after an auto accident.
Get Personal Injury Protection
At best, going without personal injury protection will result in losing your license and registration. At worst, you’ll get saddled with high medical bills that you’ll need to pay out of pocket. It’s always better to pay for auto insurance now rather than face trouble later on.
Harris Insurance can help set you up with the insurance you need. We offer protection from everything from bodily injury to rental reimbursement. You can request a quote online or contact us to get more information.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Views expressed here do not constitute legal advice. The information contained herein is for general guidance of matter only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. Discussion of insurance policy language is descriptive only. Every policy has different policy language. Coverage afforded under any insurance policy issued is subject to individual policy terms and conditions. Please refer to your policy for the actual language.
