Florida drivers must have Personal Injury Protection (also known as PIP or no-fault car insurance). PIP coverage on your car insurance policy covers up to 80% of medical bills and lost income following a car accident. You must file a PIP claim within two weeks after a car accident.
What is Florida PIP insurance?
Florida PIP pays for medical expenses, lost wages, and death benefits. Florida is unique because PIP covers only 80% of your medical expenses. If you sustain injuries that exceed $10,000, PIP will pay $8,000 for that amount. If your injury is not an emergency, you’ll only get $2,500 in benefits. A good insurance policy might cover the remainder of the cost, but it is important to ensure that it covers car accident injuries.
Medical expenses
With a few exceptions like acupuncture, most medical expenses will be covered under PIP:
– Medical exams and doctor’s visits
– Prescription medication
– Surgeries
– Hospital stays
– Rehab
– Diagnostic tests such as X-rays and bloodwork
– Ambulance rides
Other states, such as New Jersey or Michigan, have PIP that will cover injuries to anyone in the household. However, in Florida, you have the option of choosing whether your PIP should cover you or any other members of your household.
Florida PIP and Economic Benefits
Florida PIP will cover 60% of your lost wages if you are injured in an accident. There is a limit of $10,000. You can also get this coverage to pay for someone else’s services if you are unable to do so yourself. This includes chores such as cleaning up after pets, doing laundry, and keeping the house clean.
Florida PIP Death Benefits
PIP would pay up to $5,000 to cover the funeral and burial costs of the policyholder if they were to die.
How much does PIP cost in Florida?
You only have $10,000 coverage with PIP in Florida. The cost of an annual Florida car insurance policy is $300 more with PIP.
You can choose a higher deductible of up to $1,000 to get a lower car insurance quote. You have the option to choose to exclude income from work or to include other members of your household in your PIP.
Your yearly rate will be reduced by opting out of work-related loss. Higher deductibles are often the best way to reduce your premium. Be aware that you are still responsible for 20% of the medical bills you don’t get covered by PIP. You should ensure that you are able to cover these charges, as well as $1,000 out of your own pocket.
How And When To File A Pip Claim For Florida
Florida has very strict guidelines for filing a claim for PIP. To be eligible for PIP reimbursement, it is important that any treatment must occur within two weeks of the accident. After two weeks, your claim will be rejected. Your insurer will have up to 60 days for you to file a claim. However, your insurer must pay your damages within 30 calendar days, even if suspicion is raised.
A personal injury lawyer can help you receive your compensation if your case is complicated or your insurance company is making you uncomfortable. You should keep track of all your medical expenses following the accident.
Your employer must fill out and submit a form to verify your wages and salary for work loss benefits. This verification records your wages within the last 13 weeks before the accident. An attorney might be able to help you ensure that your employer completes the verification promptly. A note from your doctor may be required, detailing how you are disabled.
Florida’s Pip Law Gives You The Right To Sue
PIP laws were created in no-fault states such as Florida to decrease the number of people suing each other for damages. Florida is one of the few states that allow drivers to sue if their injuries are severe, permanent, or cause death. Florida allows drivers to sue for medical expenses exceeding $10,000, even if the injury was not severe.
If you are hurt in an accident that results in $20,000 in hospital bills, you can sue the other driver for $10,000 less than what your PIP covers. They may also be sued for emotional pain and suffering that they feel the injuries caused.
An average $60,000 hospital stay following an accident means that it is wise to have bodily injury liability coverage. Although bodily injury coverage is not mandatory in Florida, it can protect you from being sued for medical expenses if you are involved in a major accident.
Florida: Medical Payments Coverage Vs. Pip
MedPay, also known as PIP, is basically the same type of insurance as PIP. However, it does not cover lost income and only covers medical expenses. Because of its low limits, it may be worth adding to your Florida policy. MedPay provides coverage up to $5,000 for an additional $100 each year.
MedPay can also help you pay 20% of your expenses that PIP doesn’t cover if your insurance doesn’t cover it. MedPay can help you pay the deductible for your PIP.
Methodology
We collected six sample quotes from PIP policies in Florida to determine the average cost of PIP coverage. These included PIP policies with and without work loss coverage. The deductibles were $0, $500, and $1,000.
Contact Us Today!
Contact Black Law Company to learn and understand more about personal injury insurance that you deserve if you suffer an injury while working remotely. Call us at 813-321-7380. We have offices in Tampa and Miami.
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- CAR ACCIDENTS
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- NURSING HOME ABUSE
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