Personal injury protection, often simply called PIP, is a type of car insurance that covers your medical expenses to treat your injuries regardless of who is at fault for the accident. PIP is offered in no-fault states, covering medical expenses regardless of who is liable for the accident. However, personal injury lawyers Roberts | Jeandron Law warn that some states, such as California, are at-fault states, which means that they don’t have PIP insurance and also means that one driver will be found liable for causing the accident.
Instead, California has Med Pay, which works similarly to PIP. Understanding how different states handle car accidents is important to understand what benefits you’re eligible to receive and which ones you aren’t.
Which states have PIP insurance?
There are only 12 states that require PIP insurance:
● Delaware
● Florida
● Hawaii
● Kansas
● Massachusetts
● Michigan
● Minnesota
● New Jersey
● New York
● North Dakota
● Oregon
● Utah
Do I need PIP insurance?
The insurance laws vary by state. If you live in any of the states listed above, you will need to purchase PIP insurance. However, if you live elsewhere, then you do not. Each state also determines its own minimum requirements. For example, in California, drivers are required to carry:
● Bodily injury liability coverage: $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident minimum
● Property damage liability coverage: $5000 minimum
● Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage: $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident minimum
You should always buy car insurance and be aware of the minimum requirements in your state. Considering how expensive medical care can be and the likelihood of serious injuries in a car accident, it’s better to get a policy with higher caps than just the minimum.
What does Med Pay cover?
Med Pay covers medical expenses after a California accident, such as your ambulance ride, emergency room charges, hospital stay, follow-up visits with a doctor, prescription medications, and transportation to and from your appointments.
Med Pay covers funeral and burial expenses after an accident that leads to wrongful death, no matter who is at fault. Med Pay does not cover your lost wages, property damage (your damaged vehicle), childcare or other non-medical related expenses.
What type of car insurance do personal injury attorneys suggest drivers have?
Personal injury attorneys help people who have been involved in an accident and are facing mounting medical debt, the stress of possibly not being able to work, and the difficulty of keeping up with other expenses throughout their crisis. Unfortunately, if a person doesn’t have the right type of coverage, then no matter how hard they fight, there’s nothing that an attorney can do for the victim. One type of insurance coverage that personal injury attorneys recommend getting is Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage. This type of insurance protects you if you are hit by someone who does not have insurance or is underinsured, and your medical expenses are so high that they exceed your own policy.
Personal injury attorneys also highly recommend understanding your policy and your coverage before an accident happens. All too often, people don’t read their policy until after they need to file a claim. By then, it’s too late to make changes to your policy that can help you get the maximum compensation.
