If you are contemplating a move or have recently moved to Florida from an at-fault state, you may encounter a foreign concept when you get ready to switch over your auto insurance. Florida requires you to have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance as a part of your vehicle’s coverage.

Understanding what PIP is, how it works, when you must have it, and how to cancel it will go a long way to ensure your compliance with your new state’s laws. Read on for relevant information to help you better understand this coverage.

What Is Personal Injury Protection Insurance?

You may have heard personal injury protection insurance be referred to as no-fault insurance or PIP coverage. It is all the same. It is auto coverage designed as protection for your medical expenses following an auto accident up to a certain percentage of your policy limits.

This coverage pays no matter who causes the accident. It even covers the case of single-car accidents and other types of accidents when you are not in your car. For example, it will pay if a car strikes you while walking, running, or biking. It may offer duplicate medical benefits you receive through other insurance coverage.

Lawmakers enacted PIP legislation to reduce the number of personal injury lawsuits, although it does not entirely eliminate these cases. In Florida, you can still sue other drivers in some instances. These cases include the following:

• Severely disfiguring permanent injuries
• Injuries resulting in death
• Medical costs exceeding $10,000

Florida requires you to purchase $10,000 of PIP. But you can choose who you have coverage on in your household and various deductibles, including $0, $500, and $1,000.

How Does Personal Injury Protection Insurance Work?

Following your accident, you can file against your personal injury protection insurance for various medical expenses. Your PIP only pays 80% of your emergency accident-related costs in Florida. If the insurance company deems your medical expenses non-emergency, you will be limited to $2,500 of coverage. Some of the covered costs include the following:

• Emergency transportation to the hospital
• Emergency room expenses
• Doctor’s visits
• Dental care
• Diagnostic testing
• Hospital admissions
• Prescription medications
• Rehabilitative care
• Other required treatments resulting from the accident

If you become disabled, PIP will pay you up to 60% of your previous wages, up to a $10,000 limit. Your coverage also provides for a caretaker to handle household chores such as lawn care, cleaning, and pet care you may be unable to perform.

If you or a covered person dies due to your accident, your PIP pays $5,000 towards funeral costs. To file on your PIP coverage, you must do so within 14 days following your accident. Failing to do so will result in the insurance company denying your claim.

PIP does not cover other bills or payments unrelated to your auto-related injury. For example, it is not collision, comprehensive, or property damage liability coverage. You must add these components to your auto insurance to cover those areas.

Who Must Have Personal Injury Protection Insurance In Florida?

When you move to Florida, you must have PIP by the time you register for a vehicle with the state. You must maintain coverage even if your vehicle is inoperable or not driven as long as you have license tags. You must surrender your tags before canceling your coverage.

If you are a non-resident, the Florida Department of Insurance requires you to secure coverage, register, and license your vehicle within 10 days when you do the following:

• Engage in employment in Florida
• Enroll your children in Florida public schools

Family Insurance Centers can help you get the PIP and other insurance coverage you need in place. We offer a wide range of insurance products to meet your insurance needs. Call us today so we can help ensure you and your family have the coverage you need in Florida.