Understanding Personal Injury Protection – NerdWallet

Personal injury protection is auto insurance coverage that pays for medical expenses related to auto-related injuries, no matter who is at fault. While this type of coverage is available in 21 states and Washington, DC, 13 states require all drivers to wear minimum personal injury protection, commonly referred to as PIP.
What does personal injury protection cover?
PIP is intended to cover all injuries you sustain as a result of an accident, regardless of who is at fault, and includes other benefits as well. Depending on your condition, PIP could help you pay:
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Medical bills and expenses resulting from a car accident.
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Lost wages if you are unable to work due to injury resulting from an accident.
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Services you can no longer perform due to an accident, such as cleaning or babysitting.
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Funeral expenses if an injury resulting from an accident results in death.
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A small death benefit as cash payment.
When you file a PIP claim with your insurance company, you may need to pay a deductible before you can collect benefits. The PIP generally covers the policyholder and family members in the household, vehicle passengers and others who drive the car with permission. Your PIP can also cover you if you are injured while riding in someone else’s car, or if you are injured by a vehicle as a pedestrian or cyclist.
How PIP relates to no-fault insurance
Personal injury protection is sometimes referred to as “no-fault insurance”. The name refers to states with “no-fault” laws, such as Florida, Michigan, and New York. These laws prohibit injured drivers from suing at-fault drivers after an accident, unless their injuries are serious or their medical costs exceed their state’s minimum prosecution requirement. “No-fault” states require minimum amounts of PIP for each conductor.
Personal injury protection by state
You can buy PIP in 21 states, as well as in Washington, DC Thirteen states require drivers to carry a minimum amount of PIP, while a few others offer it as an option to your policy. Use the map below to see if your state offers PIP, and if there is a minimum requirement.
Personal injury protection is required in 13 states
Drivers in 13 states are required to purchase a minimum amount of PIP, but this amount varies by state. Use the table below to see which states require personal injury protection and what the minimum requirement is.
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For a more detailed look at how personal injury protection works in these states, choose a state below:
PIP is optional or can be canceled in 8 states plus Washington, DC
Eight states plus Washington, DC, offer optional personal injury protection or allow drivers to waive it in writing. Use the table below to see how these states handle PIP coverage.
For more information on how PIP coverage works in these states, choose a state below:
Is personal injury protection the same as medpay?
While medical payments coverage, better known as medpay, pays for the medical costs of accident-related injuries regardless of the fault, it does not provide the additional financial benefits that PIP offers, such as coverage. lost wages, funeral expenses, childcare or cleaning. expenses.
Medpay is also optional coverage. Some states, such as Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Michigan, offer both PIP and medpay. And if medpay is available, it may be a good idea to add it to your policy as it can cover your PIP deductible.