Pensacola PIP Lawyers
Personal injury protection (PIP) seems like a simple concept, but filing a claim always has the potential to become very complex. If you have been hurt in a car crash and have sustained serious injuries, you should seek medical treatment right away. Your healthcare provider will send the bill to your insurance company and they will then pay the invoice. In the best of instances, this is how PIP works. Unfortunately, insurance companies are usually more concerned about their own profit than they are your safety and well-being. A Pensacola PIP lawyer can help you claim the full damages you need.
What is PIP?
Under the law, all drivers in Florida must carry personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. PIP benefits are intended to compensate you for any loss you suffered as a result of your injury. PIP benefits are a type of no-fault insurance. This means that even if you caused or contributed to the crash, you can still file a claim to receive benefits. You file a claim with your own insurance company so you can obtain them more quickly.
The minimum amount of PIP insurance required by the law is $10,000. You must also purchase $10,000 in property damage liability coverage. This coverage does not repair or replace your vehicle if it becomes damaged in a crash. Instead, it is intended to cover the cost of repairing or replacing the other driver’s vehicle if you were at fault for the accident and it became injured.
PIP Coverage Amounts
If you are hurt in a car crash, you can claim up to 80 percent of your medical expenses. For example, if your injuries cost $5,000 to treat, you could claim up to $4,000 because that is 80 percent of the cost and still within the minimum policy limits of $10,000. You can also claim up to 60 percent of your lost income if the accident left you unable to return to work.
PIP Benefits and Health Insurance
Although PIP benefits will allow you to receive coverage faster than if you filed a personal injury lawsuit, there may still be a waiting period between when you receive medical treatment and when you receive PIP benefits. If you have not received your PIP benefits but have to pay a medical bill, you may rely on your health insurance to make the payment.
The above is not an uncommon situation. If your health insurance paid any portion of your medical bills after an accident, the insurer will place a lien on any PIP benefits you receive. This means that your health insurance will take the portion they have already paid and leave you with the remaining benefits.
Call Our PIP Lawyers in Pensacola for Sound Legal Advice
If you have been in an accident, our Pensacola PIP lawyer at Shuster Saben Estevez can help. Our law firm was counsel on more published opinions and orders in favor of medical providers than any other firm in the history of the PIP statute. We want to put that experience to work for you. Call us today at 877-511-7829 or reach out to us online to schedule a consultation.
