Personal injury protection in Florida is a requirement for everyone. This insurance coverage aims to offer people relief from medical expenses after accidents regardless of their fault.
You may wonder who gets the PIP check to understand how the system works. What’s so great is you don’t have to go any further for this information.
Below we have detailed everything about who gets the PIP check and how to collect PIP insurance in Florida.
What Is A PIP Insurance Claim?
A PIP insurance claim is a claim that a person can file with their insurance provider after a personal injury accident. You may get into car accidents that leave you with injuries and overwhelming bills.
If you have PIP insurance coverage, your insurance company will pay for your medical expenses, hospital bills of passengers in your cars, and more.
The main purpose of such a claim is to protect a driver and its passengers in a car. PIP insurance coverage also does not consider which individual was at fault during the accident.
This protective coverage also does not protect the other party. For example, your PIP protection will not cover the medical expenses of the driver in the other car.
One exception is pedestrians you hit with your car in an accident. Remember when filing a PIP insurance claim, you must follow the official process properly to receive compensation.
After a proper understanding of your claim, the company will decide who gets the PIP check.
How To Collect PIP Insurance Claim?
Many people wonder how to collect PIP insurance and who gets the PIP check because it is a bit different than other claims. So let’s look at the steps you must follow for PIP medical expenses and other coverage under this policy:
1. Report The Personal Injury To Your Insurance Provider
The top thing you must do is report the personal injury to your insurance provider. Companies don’t observe you constantly so they wouldn’t be notified whenever you get into a car accident.
This is why it will be your duty to contact your insurance provider and let them know the relevant details. Some people call their company to talk to the relevant adjuster.
However, it is preferable to go meet with your insurance adjuster in person. If you’re injured severely, your family members may call or meet with the company officials.
If you visit a hospital, your insurance company may receive a notification. However, there are some PIP limits that can affect your claim. This is why you or your family members must be attentive after personal injury accidents.
You may not benefit from the PIP insurance claim if you file it too late or don’t inform your insurance company within the set PIP limits.
Many people take out PIP coverage, but who gets the PIP check mainly depends on the insurance agency’s investigation.
2. Gather Evidence Of The Personal Injury Incident & Injuries
Your work will not stop at informing the insurance provider. Gathering evidence of the incident will also fall under your responsibilities. That is because the insurance company will require proof before writing a check to cover your losses.
The top evidence you will have to submit is that the personal injury incident directly caused you specific injuries. For instance, if you want medical PIP expense coverage for a broken hand, you must prove the limb broke due to the accident.
You may need to talk to your doctor and medical experts to submit an official healthcare opinion with the injury documents. When you reach the hospital after an accident, you can also tell the medical professionals to take pictures of your injuries.
These images will be helpful when you submit medical reports to the insurance provider. The company will use all the evidence and information to determine whether you’re eligible for a PIP insurance claim.
They may also send one of their adjusters to the relevant hospital to meet with your doctors and other professionals to confirm the evidence. So you must ensure anything you give to the company is legal and obtained officially.
Within 60 days, the company will try to investigate the claim for falsehood. The main purpose of such investigation is to avoid insurance fraud.
If the company can confirm the evidence, their next step will be to decide who gets the PIP check for your claim. The only good news is that you will not have to worry about proving the fault of the other party in Florida.
Florida is a no-fault state, so you will receive PIP compensation regardless of who caused the incident.
3. Speak To A Personal Injury Attorney For The Best Course Of Action
Many people know how to collect PIP insurance claim, but they fail to follow the crucial step of meeting an attorney. Consulting a personal injury lawyer is essential for many reasons.
They will help you file the claim properly with an insurance company if you contact them earlier. The attorney may also become the point of contact for the insurance agency after you file the claim yourself.
A lawyer’s expertise may help you receive the insurance compensation promptly. Your attorney will also tell you who gets the PIP check if a claim receives approval.
Typically, the person who gets the PIP check will not be you directly. A proper chain is followed by the insurance company to ensure the relevant expenses are covered.
If an insurance company tries to delay your PIP insurance claim, your lawyer can help you. That is because personal injury attorneys are experts at identifying bad-faith tactics.
Remember the main purpose of insurance adjusters is to minimize the amount of their checks. They may also change their policies on max caps and let you know later.
A lawyer can prepare you for such tactics and ensure your PIP covers your medical expenses appropriately.
What Is The 14-Day PIP Rule In Florida?
The 14-day rule in Florida is one of the PIP limits everyone in this state faces. You must receive treatment for the personal injury within 14 days of the accident.
If you fail to do that, you will not be eligible for receiving coverage of expenses through PIP. You can receive the treatment through:
- A hospital
- Urgent clinics
- A chiropractor
- Emergency medical technicians (EMT) at accident scene
Remember massage therapies and acupuncture by chiropractors are no longer under PIP coverage.
Some injuries can be treated by EMTs and do not require you to follow up by visiting a hospital. That is why treatment by these professionals comes under a PIP insurance claim.
Does PIP Cover Car Damage?
PIP doesn’t cover car damages because the coverage doesn’t include property damage. You will have to get proper car insurance for compensation for damages after an accident.
Typically, people opt for comprehensive car insurance coverage to cover their damages after accidents. You may also have a liability car insurance policy.
The latter will cover damages caused by your car to other vehicles if you were at fault in the accident.
PIP insurance claims will only cover injury-related expenses such as lost wages, medical bills, physiotherapy, and essential services.
You can understand different insurance policies you can get for accidents and personal injury incidents by conferring with a lawyer.
An insurance company aims to get more customers so they may encourage you to get every policy. However, a lawyer can help you understand which insurance coverage you must have.
They may also tell you about policies required by your state laws.
Can You Get Medical PIP: Who Gets the Pip Check?
You can get Medical Payments or MedPay insurance for expense coverage. This type of insurance is similar to PIP because it will cover your medical expenses after injury incidents.
However, MedPay insurance will not cover other expenses such as essential services, lost wages, and funeral expenses like PIP. The primary benefit of this insurance is that it can cover 20% of your expenses that even PIP won’t cover if it’s not in your health insurance policy.
This payment policy can also pay your PIP deductibles, depending on your policy.
So while there is no specific medical PIP you can get, there are other insurance options available. You can opt for MedPay or overall health insurance to receive coverage for medical expenses.
What Are PIP Limits In Florida?
There are PIP limits in Florida for different cases. In non-emergency situations, you will face a cap of $2,500 on the recovery amount.
Meanwhile, you can receive the maximum PIP coverage amount if you face an emergency medical condition (EMC). Specific requirements must have to be met for your injuries to be EMC.
As per the law of this state, an EMC patient would have acute symptoms that may cause them to suffer from the following risks if they don’t opt for immediate medical treatment:
- A life threat
- Impairment of different body functions
- Organ dysfunction
When you receive treatment at a medical facility, your doctor must also note your condition as EMC. There is also a limit on maximum PIP payments.
For example, a PIP insurance claim will only cover about 80% of your medical expenses. If your bill was $20,000, PIP would only pay $16,000 compensation in emergency situations.
FAQs
How Does The PIP Check Work?
Once a PIP insurance claim receives official approval, the company will write a check to your medical provider. Your lawyer may receive the check for lost wages and process it to give you the amount.
The insurance agency will directly make payments to hospitals and essential service providers.
How Much PIP Coverage Should I Get?
Whenever you buy an auto insurance policy, you must get PIP coverage of at least $10,000. This is the minimum amount that you must opt for.
If you can get a higher amount policy, it is recommended to get that to maximize your expense coverage.
How Long Does It Take To Get My PIP Check?
Typically, an insurance agency will investigate your PIP insurance claim for 60 days. If the company approves your claim, they will send the checks to the relevant parties within 30 days. This will be done if you follow the 14-day rule in Florida.
Final Words
This is everything you need to know about who gets the PIP check and how to collect PIP insurance. You will always have to file a claim with your insurance provider within 14 days of the incident.
You can file a claim yourself, but it is preferable to hire a personal injury attorney from day one of the incident.
The attorney will submit the relevant paperwork for the claim. They will also help you gather evidence, expert medical opinions, and much more to support your claim.
If you want to consult a personal injury lawyer in Florida, get in touch with us to set up a visit.
