Personal injury protection (PIP) insurance
In the event that you require medical coverage as a result of an auto accident, personal injury protection car insurance, also known as PIP, may help pay for your medical and/or hospital bills. PIP insurance coverage can work in tandem with your health insurance.
What is personal injury protection (PIP) car insurance?
Personal injury protection (PIP) generally covers expenses that may not be covered by your health plan, such as dental treatment, professional nursing services, and prostheses. It can also help cover non-medical expenses, loss of essential services*, funeral expenses, and help reimburse you for lost wages related to your accident.
*Loss of essential services comes into play when the insured is unable to perform household duties due to an accident and needs assistance. For example, if a mother of two young children broke both arms in an auto accident, caring for her children would be exponentially more difficult. She may need to hire a nanny to help with childcare responsibilities. PIP could help to cover the cost of hiring a nanny up to the policy limits.
What does personal injury protection car insurance cover at Elephant?
PIP coverage is available at Elephant in Texas and Maryland. The coverage applies per person and, depending on your level of coverage, can extend to the driver and everyone in the vehicle at the time of the incident regardless of who is at fault. Depending on your coverage selections and the state you live in, personal injury protection may cover:
- Medical Expenses: These may include medical or surgical treatment, dental treatment, ambulance and nursing services, necessary medications, medical supplies, and prosthetic devices.
- Lost Wages: If the insured or passengers in their car are unable to work due to accident-related injuries, PIP may help recoup their lost wages.
- Substitute Services: Should the insured or passengers in their car need help performing household tasks due to accident-related injuries, PIP may help pay for substitute services.
- Funeral Expenses: Funeral-related costs may be covered if an accident results in loss of life.
PIP coverage automatically applies for Elephant customers in Maryland and Texas unless a waiver is signed and received.
What does personal injury protection (PIP) car insurance not cover?
Personal injury protection (PIP) car insurance can help cover medical expenses, funeral expenses, substitute services, and lost wages after an accident, regardless of who is at fault. However, there are some things that PIP doesn’t cover.
- Property damage: PIP doesn’t cover damage to your car. Consider adding collision and comprehensive coverage to your policy to help pay for damages to your vehicle.
- Vehicle theft: PIP does not cover vehicle theft. Consider adding comprehensive coverage to your policy to help pay to replace your stolen vehicle.
- Damage to other people’s property: PIP doesn’t cover damage to other people’s property, such as their home or their belongings. Liability coverage helps pay for damage you cause to another person’s property.
- Medical expenses that exceed your policy limits: If your medical expenses exceed your PIP policy limits, you will be responsible for the remaining balance.
Who needs personal injury protection (PIP) coverage?
If you have a comprehensive health care plan with a low deductible, you may find that there’s an overlap between what your health insurance covers and what PIP covers. However, if you have a high-deductible health plan or no health insurance at all, opting for PIP may prove to be the rescue you need should you find yourself in an accident with expensive medical bills to pay.
Check with your state insurance department to see if PIP coverage is required in your state.
More questions about personal injury protection?
How much personal injury protection insurance do I need?
When choosing your car insurance coverage amounts, you may want to consider the potentially high cost of medical care and compare that with how much you can pay out-of-pocket or with your health insurance. If you don’t have any health insurance, you may want to consider choosing a higher limit to help offset any out-of-pocket medical expenses you might incur from an auto accident.
What is the difference between personal injury protection and medical payments coverage?
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Medical Payments (MedPay) are auto insurance coverages that help pay for accident-related expenses regardless of who is at fault in an accident. While these coverages have some things in common, they are different. Here are some of the key differences:
Personal injury protection (PIP)
- Some states require drivers to carry PIP coverage.
- Depending on the state you live in and your coverage selections, PIP can cover the policyholder, family members in the household, drivers with permission to drive the covered vehicle, and passengers in the vehicle at the time of an accident. This coverage can help pay accident-related medical and funeral expenses.
- PIP can also help pay for other accident-related expenses like lost wages and substitute services.
Medical payments (MedPay)
MedPay is an optional type of car insurance that is available in many states.
MedPay applies per person and helps pay for reasonable and necessary medical expenses and funeral services resulting from a motor vehicle accident regardless of fault.
MedPay doesn’t help pay for lost wages if the injured person is unable to work because of accident-related injuries. However, MedPay can help cover substitute services if you’re unable to perform essential services due to injuries after an accident.
Do I need PIP coverage if I have health insurance?
PIP coverage options vary by state, but it may be a good coverage to consider carrying if you have the option. Personal injury protection coverage may help cover expenses related to an accident that are not covered by health insurance such as lost wages, substitute services, and funeral expenses.
Is PIP coverage the same as bodily injury coverage?
Personal injury protection (PIP) coverage and bodily injury coverage are different. PIP helps cover your medical expenses regardless of who was at fault in an accident. Depending on your state and the level of coverage selected, PIP can extend to the driver and passengers in the insured vehicle.
Bodily injury coverage helps pay for the medical costs of others who have been injured in an accident when you’re at fault.
Get a quote for personal injury protection coverage
Useful links:
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Surprising things your car insurance covers
How to find car insurance discounts
Feel confident in your PIP coverage
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