Florida PIP Auto Insurance Laws

Although every registered vehicle owner in Florida is required to carry liability insurance, many motorists do not fully understand Florida’s no-fault insurance laws and want to know who will pay for their medical bills after their wreck.

In Florida, motorists are required to carry $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) coverage and $10,000 of property damage liability (PDL) coverage as part of Florida’s no-fault insurance laws. These laws were created to keep insurance prices low and reduce lawsuits between drivers.

However, no-fault insurance can be confusing to understand after being involved in a South Florida car accident, as it doesn’t seem fair that you would have to go through your own insurance company to make a claim for an accident that was not your fault.

When a Florida auto accident does occur, you basically agree to pay your own expenses and the other driver pays for his, no matter who is found to be the responsible party for the crash.

Helping You Understand Florida’s Auto Insurance Laws Better

PIP Insurance. Personal injury protection insurance covers you for medical expenses whether you are at fault or not at fault in a Florida wreck. This means that your medical claims would go through your auto insurance company, up to your policy limits. Your PIP insurance covers you while riding in someone else’s vehicle and would also cover your children (who are not vehicle owners) if they suffer injuries in a crash. Any person riding in your vehicle who has PIP insurance would receive coverage under his or her own insurance policy.

PDL Insurance. Property damage liability insurance covers damages that you cause to someone else’s vehicle, which you were found at fault for damaging. If your car was damaged in a South Florida crash and the other driver is found to be at fault, their PDL insurance should cover your property damage.

Other types of insurance that are good to have but are not required under Florida laws include collision coverage, bodily injury coverage, and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

Florida’s system works well, but if someone is seriously hurt in a crash, then there may be other needs, such as lost wages, surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, and ongoing medical care. Depending upon your policy, your limits may not be enough to cover these costs, and you may need to sue the other driver for compensation.

If you have suffered a brain injury, spinal trauma, herniated disc, paralysis, or any other serious injury, you can seek damages from the other driver involved. Please call an experienced Sarasota injury attorney to find out about your rights to recovery.

Also, be sure to request your free copy of our book Dealing with the Aftermath:

7 Mistakes to Avoid Following a Florida Accident.