- Everyone who is required to carry automobile insurance must purchase coverage to pay for a portion of their own medical bills and other out-of-pocket expenses, regardless of who is at fault in an accident. This mandatory coverage is known as No-Fault or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. You are required to purchase coverage limits of $10,000.00.
- Although you are required to purchase and pay for $10,000.00 in PIP coverage you may be entitled to only a portion or even NONE of these benefits unless you meet certain criteria:
- First, you must seek medical attention within 14 days of the accident date or you forfeit the ENTIRE $10,000.00 of coverage that you paid for.
- Even if you seek medical attention within 14 days you may only qualify for $2,500.00 of the mandatory $10,000.00 in coverage limits.
- Certain types of medical treatment are restricted or completely excluded from coverage. Some examples include massage therapy and acupuncture.
- Generally, PIP is primary over all other insurance coverage, including health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, and some medical providers do not accept PIP insurance. This can create problems where a medical provider bills a secondary insurance coverage for treatment related to an accident and that insurance carrier denies the bill.
- There may be circumstances where you can qualify for other insurance to cover your medical bills and other expenses following an accident. Some examples include persons who don't own a motor vehicle, persons involved in an accident while on the job and persons riding in or struck by a non-owned vehicle.
- There may also be circumstances where you are not at fault for an accident and your insurance coverage is not adequate to cover your medical bills, lost wages, property damage or other expenses.
THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHY IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO CONSULT AN EXPERIENCED INJURY LAW ATTORNEY FOLLOWING AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT.
