Personal Injury Protection Coverage in Florida

Personal injury protection is also known as PIP or no-fault insurance. If you're in a car accident, PIP covers your medical expenses, wage loss and other benefits, regardless of who caused the accident.

What does personal injury protection in Florida cover?

Personal injury protection covers 80% of medical expenses (up to $10,000) that result from an auto accident, regardless of who is at fault. Covered costs include:

• Hospital and ambulance bills
• Surgery
• Medication and prescriptions
• Rehabilitative and diagnostics services
• Treatment in accordance with religious traditions

PIP also covers 60% of lost wages due to injury or disability after a car accident, up to a $10,000 limit, as well as death and funeral expenses.

You should also know that if your injury isn't considered an emergency, you may only be entitled to $2,500 in PIP benefits. In this case, Florida state law defines an emergency medical condition as a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity, which may include severe pain, such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in any of the following:

• Serious jeopardy to patient health
• Serious impairment to bodily functions
• Serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part

However, if you have sufficient health insurance, you should be able to use it to cover the remainder of your costs from the accident.

PIP exclusions

While personal injury protection covers many things, it doesn't cover everything. Here are some important exclusions to be aware of:

• Any non-emergency injuries are only covered up to $2,500. Check with your health insurance company to see if your policy covers car accidents to get the remaining amount reimbursed.
• PIP covers emergency medical care sustained in an accident. That means you'll need separate collision, comprehensive and liability coverage for property damage.
• Massage and acupuncture, even from a licensed caregiver, is not covered. Your insurance company will not reimburse you for massage and acupuncture treatments through PIP. Check if your health insurance policy will cover this type of care.
• Pain and suffering are not covered, however you can sue for pain and suffering due to serious injuries that exceed PIP coverage.

Am I required to have personal injury protection in Florida?

Florida drivers are required by law to carry $10,000 in PIP and $5,000 in death benefits. If you want to lower your PIP costs, consider going with a higher deductible. Raising your deductible lowers your policy premium.

Regardless of the deductible you choose, you're still required to pay 20% of your medical expenses arising from the accident. For example, say your total medical expenses after the accident comes to $8,000, you would pay $1,600 out of pocket and your insurer would pay the remaining $6,400 of the claim.

How much does PIP cost in Florida?

Your cost for personal injury protection in Florida depends largely on the deductible you choose. Below is a table showing the average annual rate for both minimum- and full-coverage car insurance with PIP based on different deductibles.

Your actual car insurance rate depends on many factors, including your ZIP code, driving record and the insurer you use. This is why it's important to compare car insurance rates from multiple providers.

How to file a PIP claim in Florida

Before you file a PIP claim, you'll want to contact the local police department and report the accident. This is required by Florida state law, and will also be required by your insurance company for the claim.

If you are injured in an auto accident, file your PIP claim as soon as possible. In Florida, you must file a PIP claim within 14 days of the accident, otherwise you won't be able to do so. You will file through either your car or health insurance company, whichever provides your PIP coverage.

You'll submit your medical bills, as well as the bills of anyone else under your PIP coverage injured in the accident. You'll also include the following details:

• When the accident occurred
• All injuries sustained
• Your medical procedural history

You can use your health insurance in Florida for PIP as well. If you're using your health insurance provider as your primary source of PIP, you'll want to make sure your health insurance policy covers injuries due to car accidents.

Medicare and Medicaid cannot be used for this purpose, but may be allowed if your medical expenses exceed your car insurance PIP limits. Also, keep in mind that many health insurance plans require you to pay back anything they pay toward treatment of injuries due to a car accident.

If you feel that your PIP compensation from your car insurance company isn't satisfactory, definitely consider consulting a personal injury lawyer.

Methodology

The rates shown in this article are based on an analysis of thousands of auto insurance quotes obtained from Quadrant Information Services for sample drivers from across Florida.

Unless otherwise noted, our sample driver is a single 35-year-old with good credit. All sample drivers own a 2012 Honda Accord LX that they drive for an average of 13,500 miles per year.

Rates were compiled from the following car insurance providers based on deductibles of $0, $250, $500 and $1,000:

• Allstate
• GEICO
• Progressive
• Travelers
• State Farm
• United

The following limits were used for each deductible:

PIP: $10,000

MedPay: 80%

Work Loss: 60%

Minimum-coverage policies consist of $10,000 PIP plus $10,000 property damage liability. Full coverage consists of 100/300/100 limits plus $10,000 PIP.

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