Getting Medical Treatment

As addressed in the section on Insurance Questions, motorists in Florida are required to carry Personal Injury Protection Coverage (PIP). Below is the excerpt addressing PIP.

If you are operating a motor vehicle in Florida , it is required to have insurance. One type of coverage you are required to carry is Personal Injury Protection (PIP). PIP coverage is there to pay for your medical treatment up to $10,000, at a rate of 80% as the bills come in. This is partly where the concept of “no-fault” comes in: Even if the wreck is not your fault, YOUR auto insurance company will pay your initial medical expenses, up to $10,000, minus the deductible. This bothers and confuses some people. They’ll say, “Why should my company have to do anything; It was his fault!” Well, that is because under Florida ‘s No-fault Act, your company is required to pay up to the first $10,000.00 of your medical expenses that are accident related.

UPDATE AS OF 2013: This section used to be far longer, as the basics of PIP Coverage had not changed for many years. That changed as of January 1, 2013, due to radical changes to the Florida PIP Statute. In general, here are some major changes as to persons injured in an automobile accident:

1. All benefits may be forfeited if medical treatment (called “Initial Services) is not sought within 14 days from the date of accident;
2. Assuming medical treatment is obtained within 14 days from the accident, then PIP will provide only $2,500.00 in coverage unless the injured person is deemed by a specifically licensed provider to have an “Emergency Medical Condition” (EMC).
3. The full $10,000.00 of PIP will be available if the injured person does have an EMC.

There are far more changes included within the new PIP law, none of which favor the injured victim (or, for that matter, an injured person who causes an accident). Given the changes in the PIP law, it is now more important than ever that someone injured in a motor vehicle accident contact an experienced and well-qualified attorney as soon possible after the accident.

Personal Injury Protection coverage is mandatory. So, if you have auto insurance, you have PIP. You may also have Medical Payments coverage, which is not mandatory. Medical Payments Coverage is good because it helps to fill in the gaps of what is not covered by PIP.

One other point to make is that if you have lost wages following an accident, your Personal Injury Protection can also be used to cover 60% of your losses.

Please feel free to contact me.