Why Certain States Require Personal Injury Protection Coverage
As you negotiate the vast arena of car insurance quotes, you’re likely to see the term personal injury protection or PIP. An interchangeable term for PIP is medical payment coverage. Personal injury protection is a no-fault insurance option that pays for any medical expenses suffered by the driver and any occupants of the insured vehicle.
Since a personal injury protection plan places no fault on either driver, the insurance claims resulting from an accident can be settled more quickly. The need for one insurance company to contact the other is bypassed, resulting in the speedy payment of your medical bills.
Personal injury protection will also pay for any emergency transportation required. It will cover X-rays, emergency room visits, and laboratory fees. It is a great supplemental option for your health insurance, which can take months to settle a claim.
A personal injury protection plan is mandatory in most states. In other states, it is optional. If you choose to not carry personal injury protection, you have to sign a waiver form. Ask your insurance company for an explanation of your state’s rules. However, to be truly insured, you really need to carry personal injury protection. It is highly unadvisable to waive it, especially when you consider how little it costs for so much coverage.
You can adjust the personal injury protection limit by asking your insurance company to raise it. Set it to where you feel comfortable with your coverage. The limit you set applies to each occupant of your vehicle at the time of an accident.
Personal injury protection is inexpensive. Not having it can cost you dearly. It is also a good idea to get some sort of loss of income coverage, since that is not included with personal injury protection. Loss of income insurance can be purchased with a daily allotment that is a set limit or a percentage of your yearly salary. While physical and occupational therapy usually are covered, the time you spend away from work can be expensive.
There may also be a limit on the number of times you can visit your chiropractor, acupuncturist, or massage therapist. These services tend to be combined within the limits of a policy. If you can prove that you need help with essential services like child care, cooking, or cleaning, your policy will cover that expense. A personal injury protection plan will cover you as a pedestrian, should you be struck by a car. It will also cover a pedestrian whom you hit with your car.
Don’t give in to the lure of lower payments when deciding whether you should have personal injury protection. For the low cost car insurance quotes, it’s coverage worth having.
