Needing Personal Injury Protection (PIP) In Florida
Florida is what’s known as a “no-fault” state, which means that all drivers are required to have “Personal Injury Protection,” or PIP insurance. PIP is a kind of no-fault auto insurance that ensures injured drivers a certain amount of medical coverage. Accident victims in a no-fault state don’t have to establish fault for immediate compensation to cover medical bills and other expenses following an auto accident, because their own PIP insurer automatically covers it no matter who is found to be at fault. PIP also covers household members, children, and certain passengers who are involved in an accident. Other passengers who are involved in the accident should be covered by their own PIP insurance. In Florida, all registered motor vehicle owners are required to have a minimum of $10,000 of PIP insurance.
Why Florida Requires Personal Injury Protection
PIP insurance is mandatory for several reasons. PIP insurance isn’t just about satisfying a legal requirement, but also engineered to help victims of auto accidents receive funds to cover their medical costs, without having to go through the arduous process of pursuing a claim through the legal system.
What To Know About PIP In Florida
PIP was engineered to help injured drivers avoid significant delays before insurers pay out funds to cover their costs for medical bills. The introduction of mandatory PIP in Florida gave injured drivers a quick and guaranteed way to cover at least the minimum of their medical costs and other kinds of expenses after an accident on the road. Essentially, no matter who is found to be at fault, PIP will pay for their medical bills up to a certain point.
The Institution Of Personal Injury Protection In Florida
Before PIP became mandatory in Florida, it operated under a tort reparations system. Under this system, the injured driver could sue the driver found to be at fault since the driver deemed at-fault would be liable for economic and non-economic costs such as medical bills and pain and suffering. The tort reparations system resulted in insurance claims often taking a large amount of time to resolve, and it would often drag on in court. Florida has a well-established history of personal injury protection, and has been a no-fault state for five decades after adopting the no-fault law back in 1971 (the second state in the US to do so). Personal injury protection auto insurance was introduced in order to streamline the compensation process after an accident happens. The law is supposed to eliminate delays for smaller claims processes and simplify compensation after a traumatic event like an auto accident. Since the law was established, there have been several revisions to make it more fair and reduce the amount of fraudulent claims.
Contact Us Today
Any Florida driver (or resident for that matter) should have at least a basic understanding of how PIP protection works. Remember- PIP usually only covers up to a certain amount. If you are the victim of an auto accident with substantial medical bills totalling over $10,000, you may need an experienced auto insurance attorney on your side. Call BCN Law Firm for a free initial consultation today.
