Miami PIP Lawyers
Personal injury protection (PIP) sounds fairly straightforward, but it always has the potential to become quite complicated. If you are involved in a car accident and suffer injuries that require medical care, you can receive the treatment you need and the medical provider will bill your PIP insurer. The PIP insurer will then pay the invoice and the matter is resolved. Although this is the way PIP coverage should work, that is not always the case. Our Miami PIP lawyers can help when disputes between you and the insurer arise, such as if they deny your claim.
What is No-Fault Auto Insurance?
Under Florida’s no-fault auto insurance laws, all drivers must carry PIP coverage within their auto insurance policy. This coverage is intended to cover the cost of your injury. As the name implies, no-fault insurance does not consider who caused the crash. As such, you must file a claim for PIP coverage with your own insurance company. PIP insurance will not provide coverage for any damage to your vehicle or any other property.
The law requires all drivers to carry at least $10,000 in PIP coverage and a minimum of $10,000 in property damage liability coverage. The property damage is intended to cover the cost of repairing or replacing the other driver’s vehicle.
Coverage Available Under PIP Insurance
Personal injury protection will cover up to 80 percent of your medical expenses. You can receive coverage in an amount that is covered by the policy limits. For example, if you only purchased the minimum $10,000, you have that same amount available in coverage, but you will still only receive 80 percent of your medical costs. If you cannot return to work due to the accident, PIP will also cover 60 percent of your lost income.
Health Insurance and PIP
If your health insurance company has already paid for a portion of your medical expenses, they will place a lien on any PIP benefits you receive. This means they will take the same amount they paid for your medical treatment from the PIP coverage your insurer provides. If your health insurance company has not paid for any of your medical costs, your health insurance will not have any effect on the PIP coverage you receive.
PIP Lawsuits vs. Personal Injury Lawsuits
PIP lawsuits differ from personal injury lawsuits. This is because personal injury lawsuits are governed by tort law while PIP lawsuits are governed by contract law. A PIP lawsuit will have a statute of limitations of five years, while the personal injury law has a time limit of just four years. When filing a PIP lawsuit, you are essentially claiming that the insurance company did not provide the medical benefits you are entitled to. In a personal injury lawsuit, you must prove that another person was at fault for the accident and that they are liable for paying you financial compensation.
Call Our PIP Lawyers in Miami Today
If you have been hurt in a crash, our seasoned Miami PIP lawyers at Shuster Saben Estevez are here to help. Our team has more published orders and opinions in favor of medical providers than any other firm in the history of the PIP statute and we will put that expertise to work for you. Call us today at 877-511-7829 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.
