Motor vehicle accidents are some of the most common personal injury cases in Pennsylvania, and while state law does give victims of accidents the right to compensation for their losses, it's important to understand where that compensation comes from. One of the biggest contributors to this compensation is personal injury protection, but if you're unfamiliar with this concept, you may just be wondering what exactly personal injury protection is.
Personal injury protection, or PIP, is a component of car insurance that can potentially cover a wide variety of losses, including payments for medical bills after an accident. This type of insurance ensures that everyone involved in an accident can get the immediate medical care they need without necessarily having to worry about footing the bill.
Pennsylvania is a “no-fault” state, so personal injury protection kicks in regardless of who is at fault for the accident. This helps lessen the burden on the legal system by ensuring that victims of car accidents don’t have to go through the legal system to get compensation for their financial losses related to medical bills and the like.
Personal Injury protection is also a requirement in Pennsylvania. This means that every driver on the road must have some sort of PIP policy that meets the legal limits, with many drivers still opting into paying more to guarantee more extensive coverage in the case of an accident.
Personal injury protection is incredibly important, and drivers need to have a full understanding of all the ins and outs so that they can rest assured knowing that they have the coverage they need when they need it most.
What Does Personal Injury Protection Cover?
Now that you have a good idea of what personal injury protection is, it’s essential that you know exactly what and who it covers.
The full extent of coverage will depend largely on the specific policy you have, but in general, PIP can cover everything from medical bills and lost wages to funeral expenses in the case that someone loses their life.
Pennsylvania is a “no-fault” state, so PIP will cover these expenses regardless of who is at fault for the accident. PIP is first-party coverage that’s meant to insure you and not the other party involved in the accident, but that leaves another question. What if you have passengers in the car with you? Are they covered as well?
In the vast majority of cases, PIP doesn't just cover the driver. It will also cover the medical expenses of any passengers present in the vehicle during the accident. This means that no matter who is in the car or whether or not they have their own health insurance, personal injury protection can cover them all.
It's also important to note that PIP does have its limitations. For example, while it does cover losses from medical expenses, lost wages, etc., after an accident, recovering losses due to property damage works a bit differently.
Property damage does not fall under the no-fault umbrella, and even while PIP policies are required to meet a minimum property damage threshold, you will need to file a civil lawsuit in order to collect on those damages.
How Does Personal Injury Protection Work?
Personal injury protection kicks in no matter who caused the accident, but you will still need to go through the work of making a claim with your insurance company to collect.
While you can file a PIP claim by yourself, insurance companies often do everything in their power to pay as little as possible. Because of this, it’s always a good idea to talk to a lawyer after an accident so that they can take care of all of this and more for you, ensuring that you get the compensation you deserve regardless of how stingy your insurance company tries to be.
Another important thing to note is that, unlike other types of insurance whose payments tend to increase the more you use it, PIP insurance payments should not increase after an accident.
What are the Minimum Personal Injury Protection Requirements in Pennsylvania?
Personal injury protection is a requirement under Pennsylvania law, and while it is certainly advisable to pay for an insurance plan that does a bit more than just meet the minimum requirements, it’s still helpful to know what those minimum requirements are.
In Pennsylvania, there are essentially three different minimum requirements that a PIP policy must meet. The first is medical benefits, which are intended to cover the medical bills of the person who owns the policy. The minimum requirement for these benefits is $5,000 in Pennsylvania.
PIP policies also need to cover the bodily injuries of anyone else who was in the car at the time, and the limit for this is either $15,000 per person or $30,000 per accident. It is also a requirement that PIP policies cover up to $5,000 of property damage in case the policyholder is at fault for the accident.
Contact HoeyLegal Today
Are you the victim of a recent personal injury? Are you looking for a Chester County personal injury lawyer that you can trust to win you your case? Give us a call.
Here at HoeyLegal, we’re proud to be the leading personal injury law firm in Chester County, and we specialize in helping our clients get compensation for their losses after an accident. Our expert legal team is always here to answer questions and will happily tell you more about how we can help you win your case. We’ll even offer you a free consultation to help you get the ball rolling.
We understand just how difficult dealing with a personal injury is, and we’ll always do our best to be the trustworthy advocate you need when going through such hard times. Don’t trust anyone but the best with your personal injury case. Call HoeyLegal and take the first step toward getting the compensation you deserve today!