What does personal injury protection (PIP) coverage cover on a Florida car insurance policy?
First, it is important to note that PIP coverage is required by Florida law. This is first party coverage meaning that it pays you (or with medical bills, your health care providers) 80 percent of your medical bills and 60 percent of your lost wages, up to a total of $10,000.00. It is also important to note that under a law that passed effective January 1, 2013, PIP pays up to $2,500, unless there is a medical showing that the injured person sustained an Emergency Medical Condition (and if so then PIP benefits are $10,000.00). This is called “No-fault” PIP coverage as it pays your medical bills, whether you are at fault or not. The law allows up to a $1,000.00 deductible for PIP. The concept of PIP is that whether you are at fault or not, there is some insurance to pay medical bills and to pay for lost time from work. In exchange for that “benefit,” you lose some common law rights to pain and suffering against the other car, if you are not at fault, if your injuries do not reach a certain threshold.
Every case is unique and should be judged based on its specific facts. The legal discussion in this blog is intended to be general and should not specific advice for a case or more importantly for your case. The goal of the blog is to give some information about a topic and to have you call the law firm for specific advice, if I were to take your case. In this blog entry, I am discussing Florida’s PIP insurance at a very basic level and there is much more to this statute. It has been modified many times over the years and there are many intricacies to the statute. A slight difference in the facts of the case could completely change the result. Also, this blog is based on the laws of Florida and the laws of any other states or country are not considered in this blog.
