Everything You Need to Know About Personal Injury Protection

Last updated April 26, 2022

Are you considering purchasing personal injury protection (PIP) insurance coverage? If so, you’re likely wondering what this type of insurance is and whether or not it’s worth your money, as it’s not always clear what PIP covers or how it can help.

Some states require drivers to carry PIP insurance, so it’s important to know your options and when to add this type of coverage to your auto insurance policy.

Here’s everything you need to know about personal injury protection coverage to help you make an informed decision about whether you should opt to include it on your policy.

What is personal injury protection?

Personal injury protection, or PIP, insurance coverage provides financial assistance to help cover medical or hospital bills and costs not covered by your health insurance after an accident, regardless of who is at fault for the accident.

Depending on where you live, your state may require you to carry PIP insurance, or you may be able to add it to your policy as an additional coverage type.

When you file a personal injury protection claim via your car insurance company, medical bills and lost wages may be reimbursed up to your coverage limit amount.

What does Personal Injury Protection cover?

Personal injury protection coverage helps pay for medical expenses for you and your passengers in the case of an at-fault or no-fault accident, even if you don’t have health insurance. This may include costs associated with surgeries, dental treatment, hospital stays, ambulance rides, and medical devices.

Additionally, in some cases, PIP covers loss of income and childcare or house cleaning expenses needed as a result of the accident, as well as funeral costs. Depending on your specific policy agreement, these costs are covered up to the amount stated in your coverage limits.

Personal injury protection only covers medical and other expenses for you and your passengers. It does not help pay for the medical bills or lost wages of a person in another vehicle involved in the accident. Nevertheless, most states require drivers to carry bodily injury liability coverage to help pay for another person’s injuries if you’re at fault for an accident.

It’s also important to note that personal injury protection does not cover the cost of damages to your vehicle in an at-fault accident – you must carry collision coverage for that expense to be covered. It also doesn’t help pay for the cost of damages to another person’s property in an at-fault accident – you must have property damage liability coverage for that.

Find cheap car insurance near you

"*" indicates required fields

Oops! We could not locate your form.

Types of personal injury protection

There is only one type of personal injury protection, and it helps pay for medical expenses and lost wages for you and your passengers, regardless of who caused the accident. Because PIP doesn’t cover expenses above your coverage limits, it’s important to consider the amount you need before you need it.

Do I need personal injury protection?

Choosing to purchase personal injury protection coverage – and where to set your limit amount – depends on two main factors: your state’s requirements and your other health insurance options.

You must carry the minimum required amount in your state. While not all states require drivers to hold no-fault insurance, be sure to check before selecting a policy.

Whether it’s required or not, you may decide to add personal injury protection coverage to your policy for peace of mind should an accident occur. If you and your family have access to medical reimbursement payments under your health insurance policy, you might only need the minimum amount of PIP required. However, if you don’t have health insurance or your plan doesn’t cover post-accident costs, consider purchasing more PIP insurance to ensure you’ll receive adequate financial help in the event of an auto accident.

Find affordable personal injury protection

Personal injury protection is a mandatory coverage type in some states. However, even if you don’t live in a state where it’s required, PIP can be beneficial to have.

PIP helps cover medical expenses, lost wages, and other personal damages related to a car accident, regardless of who is at fault. Whether you need the minimum amount required or want to add additional coverage for greater protection, it’s important to compare quotes from top insurers to find affordable options that meet your needs.

Use our comparison tool today for fast, easy, reliable quotes from the nation’s leading car insurance companies.

About Rate Retriever

At Rate Retriever, our mission is to make the way you shop for insurance transparent and fair through user-friendly tools that respect your privacy and deliver reliable, comprehensive results.

So we took everything we hated about comparing insurance quotes online – the spam, the long questionnaires, the limited choices, the inaccuracy of quote prices – and threw it out the window, favoring a short form that more accurately estimates what you’ll pay at each of the top insurance providers near you.

Rate Retriever is an independent company that is not owned by an insurance provider, nor do we provide insurance ourselves. This independence allows us to be your free and impartial insurance research tool, helping you make the best decisions for your insurance needs.

We may earn a commission when you click one of the links or call one of the providers listed on our site; however, we do not allow our partnerships to influence which information we provide.

Share this article