If you live in Florida, you know that it is known as the no-fault state which means that it also has a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) law. A lot of times, people are not aware of what this implies. Hence, we are here to brief you about what is PIP and the coverages.
Personal Injury Protection or PIP Overview
Personal injury protection is a type of no-fault auto insurance. The main aim of this auto insurance legislation is to provide certain amounts of funds or medical coverages to the injured drivers. These funds are readily available for accident victims. Thus, they don’t have to prove or establish fault and wait for months to receive funds.
The law covers insured individuals regardless of the fault. Furthermore, it also provides funds to children, household members, and specific passengers. For example, if the passengers traveling have their injury protection coverage, it can be triggered and made available to them.
Why Do You Need PIP in Florida?
PIP is crucial for a lot of reasons. Aside from satisfying a legal obligation, this insurance allows the victims of auto accidents to recover their medical costs without needing to file a claim in court.
Before this law was put forward in Florida, the accident victims had to face a lot of troubles as well as delays to access funds to cover their medical costs. With the introduction of PIP, the lengthy delays are speeded up and victims can easily recover their expenses.
What are the Benefits of PIP?
Personal injury protection law offers plenty of benefits to drivers with vehicles registered in Florida. Here are those
- After being involved in a vehicle accident, drivers with PIP can feel reassured that they will receive money back to help cover the costs incurred by their medical treatment.
- Compensation for medical treatment is usually paid back to injured drivers quickly, so there is no long wait to be reimbursed for medical costs.
- Even if the driver was at fault and caused the accident, they will still be entitled to claim their medical costs as their PIP will help cover their medical bills.
- The no-fault law streamlines the claims process. This streamlined process reduces the need for drivers to go back and forth, attempting to apportion blame and get the compensation that they are owed.
- One of the main reasons that PIP and the no-fault law were introduced was to reduce the number of cases relating to accident claims going to court.
- The law effectively reduces the compensation rights for individuals, as they will simply be reimbursed for treatment costs through their PIP. With less substantial amounts of compensation to pay out, insurance premiums should be cheaper.
What Does PIP Cover?
Personal injury protection covers your medical expenses, regardless of who was at fault for an accident. It involves
- Medical expenses: PIP can cover medical and surgical treatment, dental and optometric treatment, ambulance and nursing services, medication, medical supplies, and prosthetic devices.
- Lost wages (in some cases): If you are unable to work due to accident-related injuries, PIP could help you recover lost wages.
- Substitute services (in some cases): If accident-related injuries keep you or those covered from performing household tasks, like cleaning, PIP could help pay for substitute services, like a cleaning crew.
- Funeral expenses (in some cases): If accident-related injuries result in death, PIP could help pay for funeral expenses.
How To Obtain Personal Injury Protection Coverage?
If you have been involved in an accident, you might not know what to do next to claim and obtain your injury protection coverage. As an accident puts you in an overwhelming state, you may need a professional Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer by your side to guide you through the process.
Having an attorney by your side can help you to ease your claim process and improve your chances of making a successful compensation claim.
Here are a few things that you should know before obtaining your PIP
- To make use of your PIP, try medical treatments which you receive must take place within 14 days of the date of the accident.
- If you get delayed (after 14 days), your compensation will be rejected by the insurance company. In such a case, your Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer will be able to advise you on how to claim your money back even after 14 days.
- You will need to contact your insurance company to make your claim. The company will ask you to share details of the accident, injuries, and treatment received so far.
- Make sure to produce your medical bills to make your claim process easier.
- If your insurance claim progresses smoothly, you can expect to receive your compensation within 30 days of the insurance company receiving your written proof of injuries and claim for medical costs.
With the help of trained and professional Florida personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Wolf and Pravato, you will be able to receive your compensation in no time. Get to know them here.