Florida PIP, explained

PIP, or personal injury protection, is the coverage every Florida car owner must carry that pays your own medical bills and part of your lost income after a crash, no matter who caused it. The required amount is $10,000, and there’s a 14-day deadline to get care that many people don’t know about.

It’s on every Florida auto policy, and it’s one of the most misunderstood. Here’s how it actually works.

Why Florida has it

Florida is a “no-fault” state. Instead of waiting to find out who caused a crash before anyone’s medical bills get paid, your own policy pays your own injuries first. That’s PIP.

The law requires every owner of a car registered in Florida to carry it, along with property damage liability, and to keep both in force the whole time the car is registered (Fla. Stat. 627.733 and 324.022). It applies to vehicles with four or more wheels, so motorcycles work differently.

What it pays

Under Fla. Stat. 627.736, the required PIP coverage pays up to $10,000 per person for:

• Medical expenses. 80% of reasonable, medically necessary costs.
• Lost income. 60% of the income you lose because you can’t work.
• Replacement services. Help with things you can’t do yourself while you’re injured.

There’s also a separate $5,000 death benefit.

It covers you and relatives who live with you, and it can also cover passengers in your car and pedestrians your car strikes, depending on their own coverage and the details in the statute.

The 14-day rule

This is the one I want everyone to remember. To use PIP medical benefits, you have to get initial care within 14 days of the crash.

Even if you feel fine, some injuries show up a day or two later. If you wait past 14 days, the medical part of your PIP may not pay at all.

The $2,500 limit

How much of the $10,000 is available for medical care depends on what the treating provider finds. If a physician, dentist, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse determines you had an emergency medical condition, medical benefits can go up to the full $10,000. If they determine you didn’t, medical benefits are limited to $2,500.

The statute defines an emergency medical condition as one with acute symptoms serious enough that going without immediate care could reasonably result in serious harm to your health.

What PIP doesn’t do

• It doesn’t fix your car. That’s collision or comprehensive.
• It doesn’t pay for damage you cause to others. That’s property damage and bodily injury liability.
• It doesn’t cover everything above $10,000. Serious injuries can go well past that.

Because PIP pays your own injuries, Florida limits when you can sue the other driver for pain and suffering. Under Fla. Stat. 627.737, that’s generally only possible for a significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, a permanent injury, significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death. If you’re in that situation, an attorney is the right person to talk to.

Good to know

1. There are deductible choices. Florida insurers must offer PIP deductibles of $250, $500 and $1,000 (Fla. Stat. 627.739). A deductible applies to you, and to relatives in your household if you choose, but not to other people your policy covers.
2. Claims have a clock too. Under the statute, PIP benefits are generally overdue if they aren’t paid within 30 days after the insurer gets written notice of the loss and its amount.
3. Medical payments coverage is different. Some people add it to help with what PIP leaves unpaid. It’s optional, and worth asking about.
4. Your declarations page shows your PIP. It lists the amount, any deductible and whether it applies to your household.

Want me to check your PIP?

Upload your declarations page at /quote/ or send it to me, and I’ll explain exactly how your PIP is set up and what it would and wouldn’t pay. If you’ve just been in a crash, call me and I’ll help you get the claim started.

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