What Protection Does Florida Personal Injury Protection Insurance Afford You?

The following is a guest post by Maryellen Ward of PIP Autoinsurance.com.

If you own or operate a motor vehicle in the state of Florida, you are required to maintain PIP insurance. PIP (Personal Injury Protection) insurance is a form of insurance that is designed to ensure that a person involved in a motor vehicle accident will have access to up to $10,000.00 dollars to help pay for medical bills. This law, however, has recently undergone some changes.

On March 9th of this year, the Florida senate passed legislation that puts certain requirements on claimants who wish to receive PIP. Namely the legislation states when a claimant must be seen by a medical professional, where they must be seen, and what medical criteria must be met in order to receive the benefits of PIP insurance in Florida, such as the following:

• A claimant must obtain treatment for injuries sustained in the accident within 14 days from the date the accident occurred.
• They must be seen in an ambulance, at a hospital, by a physician, an osteopathic physician, a chiropractic physician or a dentist.
• Additionally, in order for the claimant to receive the full $10,000.00 payout a physician, an osteopathic physician, a dentist, a supervised physician's assistant or a registered nurse practitioner must, after treatment, conclude that the claimant's medical condition was emergency in nature.
• If the condition is determined to be non-emergency in nature, the PIP insurance payout is limited to $2,500.00.
• Finally, any follow-up services deemed necessary must come from a referral from a physician, an osteopath, a chiropractor or a dentist. Massage therapists and acupuncture treatments do not qualify for eligible services for PIP insurance benefits in Florida.

The intended benefit of PIP insurance in Florida is that if you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, you'll have quick access to money in order to treat your injuries, regardless of who is the at-fault driver. Additionally, it may provide disability benefits in the form of 60% of any lost wages, and a death benefit of $5,000.00. PIP insurance in Florida does not cover any type of property damage. Of course, the total amount that is payable in any one accident is $10,000.00.

Florida PIP Premiums And Coverages

It's worth noting that you can waive the lost wages portion of your coverage which will lower your premium. You may also choose to have a deductible which would also lower your annual premium.

Persons who are covered under PIP insurance include the named insured on the policy, as well as all relatives who reside at the named insured same address; although they do not have to be individually listed on the policy. All vehicles you list on your automobile insurance policy are automatically covered under PIP.

If you own a trailer that is exclusively designed for use with a private passenger vehicle, and it is not used for any type of business purpose, it also falls into the category of a 'covered vehicle'. PIP insurance in Florida will cover an insured driver even if they are involved in an accident that happened in another state. Remember, PIP insurance is mandatory, even if your vehicle is only used in the state of Florida for part of the year.