Personal Injury Protection (PIP) - What Tampa Drivers Should Know
Did you know that Florida is a no-fault state? This is an area that can cause a lot of confusion for drivers, especially if you've recently been in an accident. Our personal injury lawyers in Tampa understand the nuances and intricacies of Florida's no-fault law and the Florida PIP statutes. If you've recently found yourself in this stressful situation, we are here to help.In this blog post, we are going to look at personal injury protection in Tampa and the critical areas that you should be aware of as a driver. While no one wants to find themselves facing the situation, this is information that could be extremely beneficial.
What Does PIP Stand For?
Right off the bat, let's start off with discussing personal injury protection or PIP for short. You’ve probably already heard this term before, but do you really know what it means? personal injury protection is a type of no-fault insurance coverage. in the event of a car accident in Tampa, this insurance will cover your medical bills and any lost wages incurred as a result of your injuries. This is an extremely important form of insurance coverage if you are a driver here in Florida. unfortunately, not enough Florida drivers have a good understanding of PIP law.
What Is Covered By PIP in Tampa?
As mentioned earlier, personal injury protection in Florida will cover any medical costs, lost wages and death benefits resulting from a motor vehicle accident. In order to provide you with a complete understanding of PIP in Tampa, we are you going to take a closer look at each of these in more detail.
PIP Covers Medical Costs
Except for acupuncture, most medical costs that a driver will face only an accent are going to be covered by PIP. Or drivers in other states, their PIP will usually cover injuries sustained by anyone living in the driver's household. however, in Florida drivers have the option use their PIP coverage for only themselves or other residents in their household. Tampa drivers can file a PIP claim for any of the following:
Surgery and hospital expenses
Medication
Medical consultations
Rehab fees
Diagnostic fees
Please note that personal injury protection in Florida will only cover 80% of the medical costs incurred as a result of a car accident up to a $10,000 limit. Additionally, if you are not considered to have an emergency medical condition, PIP coverage only entitles you to $2,500 worth of benefits.So what exactly does Florida law define as an emergency medical condition? This is any medical condition resulting from a car accident that requires immediate medical attention. Essentially, this means that the driver's life would be in jeopardy if they do not receive medical attention.
Florida PIP and Economic Benefits
So what happens if you are disabled in a car accident in Tampa? How much of your lost wages will PIP cover? in Florida, PIP will pay for 60% of any lost wages incurred as a result of an accident up to a $10,000 limit. Please note that this also will cover normal activities that you cannot perform as a result of your injuries. This includes cleaning your home, taking care of any pets you own, doing daily chores, etc.
Death Benefits of Florida PIP
In the unfortunate event that a driver is killed in an accident in Tampa, their PIP policy would cover the cost for their funeral and burial. Any next of kin are entitled to $5,000 for death benefits.
PIP Limitations You Should Know About
Here is another important detail about personal injury protection in Tampa that we like our clients to know. If you have been injured in a car accident, your PIP benefits may only be awarded to you if you receive the appropriate medical treatment for your injuries within 2 weeks of the incident.As you might have guessed, $2,500 is not going to be enough to cover the cost of treating any type of serious injury. If you find yourself in a situation where your PIP benefits have been exhausted and you still face significant fees, this is where our Tampa personal injury attorneys can help. We can seek the appropriate compensation from the at-fault driver by filing a personal injury lawsuit.Please note the following limits when it comes to filing your PIP insurance claim:
Your PIP policy will not cover medical bills if you did not seek treatment within 14 days of the motor vehicle accident.
If you have been diagnosed with an “Emergency Medical Condition” after the accident, PIP will only provide coverage for follow-up services that are related to the injuries caused by the accident.
PIP does not cover massage or acupuncture therapy
What To Expect From Your Insurance Provider After Filing a PIP Claim
Typically, your pip insurance benefits are overdue if your insurance carrier has not paid them within 30 days following the receipt of your claim. That being said, and insurance carrier may have an additional 60 days if they plan to investigate the claim. In order to launch this investigation, your turn your would need to have a reasonable belief that fraud has been committed.If you are having issues with your insurance carrier following a car accident, our legal team in Tampa can help you. our attorneys have years of experience dealing with some of the biggest insurance carriers in Florida, and we can make sure that you receive all the PIP benefits you require in a timely fashion.
What is a Letter of Protection?
If you are incurring medical fees before receiving your PIP benefits, a treating physician may request a letter of protection. This is essentially a contract that stipulates these unpaid medical expenses will be covered once your insurance claim has been paid.Our personal injury attorneys recommend that you keep a detailed list of all your out-of-pocket expenses following a car accident. For instance, let's look at what your insurance provider will require in order to reimburse you for a prescription that you need for pain. you'll need to provide them with the original receipt for the prescription as well as the label that has been attached to the outside of the prescription bag.
Are pedestrian and bicyclists covered under PIP in Tampa?
Here's an interesting question our personal injury attorneys have received in the past. The short answer that we always give is it depends on whether they own a car. Here’s why:
A pedestrian or bicyclist that's in an accident and who owns a car will be covered by their PIP policy.
If the pedestrian or bicyclist doesn't own a car, but resides with a relative that does, then they are still going to be covered under their relative’s policy.
In the event that a pedestrian does not own a car, nor do they live with a relative who does, then they would be covered by the at-fault driver's insurance.
Can PIP Cover Chiropractic Care in Tampa?
Under the Florida PIP statute, a car accident victim can receive initial care and services from a chiropractor and have that be covered by PIP. In Tampa, medical services from the following providers are covered by PIP:
Medical doctors
Chiropractors
Doctors of osteopathic medicine
Hospitals
EMS services
Conclusion
We hope that this blog post has provided you with a much deeper understanding of personal injury protection PIP here in Tampa. if you have any additional questions, or you were recently the victim of an accident, then please do not hesitate to contact us. our team of personal injury attorneys in Tampa can help you receive the compensation that you deserve. Please call us today at [number] to schedule a consultation or fill out the contact form.