By John S. Mordecai
PIP or personal injury protection insurance is essentially $10,000.00
in medical insurance for car and truck crash injuries; it also available to pay
some wage loss. Hospitals and doctors should bill your PIP insurance company
directly. Thus, it is necessary that you provide your automobile insurance card, and you claim number if available, to every hospital and doctor that treats you so that the cost of your visit can
be billed.
PIP is referred to as “No Fault” insurance because it pays
for both medical treatment and wage loss – no matter who was “at fault” for
causing the crash. This means that you do not have to prove who was, or was
not, at fault for the crash. So, even if you cause a crash, your PIP insurance
company still has to pay your medical expenses; for example, if you are injured after intentionally leaving the roadway to avoid hitting a pedestrian. Similarly, if
a negligent driver hits your car, Florida law nonetheless requires that your
own PIP insurance pay for the first $10,000.00 in covered expenses – even if
you did nothing wrong. Good News: The fact that your insurance company has paid your medical expenses will not result in an increase of your insurance premium – as long as you are not at fault for the crash.
