Personal Injury Protection, or PIP coverage, is one coverage that we recommend everyone carry on his or her auto insurance policy. While the minimum coverage is usually twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500), we suggest that you carry at least $10,000 in PIP coverage.
Where PIP comes in handy is when the health insurance coverage you have refuses to pay medical bills because your injuries arose from a car accident. It is not uncommon in this scenario for your health insurance to refuse to pay. In effect, the health insurance company often tries tells their insureds, “go collect from the negligent driver.” This happens all too often and causes unnecessary stress and anxiety on top of the physical injuries.
Many car wreck claims can take months to resolve. Leaving the medical bills unpaid does not sit well with many people. That’s where PIP coverage comes in handy.
Many primary care physicians also are reluctant to treat victims of car accidents simply because they expect a health insurance company to deny the claim pending the resolution of a car accident claim.
Med Pay is similar to PIP but only covers medical bills. PIP reimburses for both medical bills and lost wages. In addition, Med Pay ultimately has to be paid back to your auto insurance company; whereas PIP does not. Always purchase PIP; do not purchases Med Pay.
What PIP Covers in Texas
PIP insurance pays for your medical expenses and lost wages if you are injured in an automobile accident. PIP will also cover the same costs for every passenger in your vehicle who also suffered injury. In Texas, Personal Injury Protection coverage is required unless you sign a waiver declining the coverage.
Personal Injury Protection coverage is very inexpensive and is a mechanism to get some of your medical expenses paid quickly. It has been our experience that many health insurers will not timely pay medical bills given the overreaching by some medical providers and the constant battle over “who pays.” Nevertheless, Personal Injury Protection coverage is excellent coverage to have when you’re injured in a car accident.
Do you need a Lawyer to Collect PIP or Med Pay?
No, you probably don’t need an attorney to collect PIP or Med Pay coverage. You may, however, want to consider consulting with an attorney if your injuries are substantial. There can be issues such as subrogation, coordination of benefits, and whether or not your insurance carrier gets an offset for PIP coverage paid when you are also making an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim.
If you have been injured in a car accident and want to speak with a car accident lawyer, call Paradowski Law at (855) 524-2976.