What is personal injury protection? Florida PIP explained

Personal injury protection (PIP) is the part of your Florida car insurance that pays your own medical bills and lost income after a crash, no matter who caused it. Every Florida driver must carry at least $10,000 of PIP. It generally covers 80% of reasonable medical costs and 60% of lost income, if you get care within 14 days.

That's what people mean when they say Florida is a "no-fault" state. Your own policy pays first, so you can get treatment without waiting for anyone to decide who was to blame. But PIP has firm limits, and it's often not enough. Here's how it works and what to do when it runs out.

What "no-fault" means in Florida

Under Florida's no-fault law, each driver's own insurance pays their initial injury costs. If someone runs a red light and hits you, you still file your first injury claim with your own insurance company, under your PIP coverage.

Florida law requires every registered vehicle with four or more wheels to carry two coverages:

• $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP), for your own injuries.
• $10,000 in property damage liability, for damage you cause to someone else's property.

Florida doesn't require most drivers to carry bodily injury liability coverage, which pays for injuries you cause to others. That's one reason serious crashes in Florida often leave injured people underinsured. We'll come back to that.

What PIP covers

PIP pays for:

• 80% of reasonable and necessary medical expenses: emergency care, doctor visits, imaging, physical therapy and similar treatment.
• 60% of lost income if your injuries keep you from working.
• Replacement services, like help with household tasks you can't do while you recover.
• A $5,000 death benefit if someone covered by the policy dies in the crash.

PIP generally covers you and relatives who live in your household, whether you're driving, riding as a passenger or walking. It can also cover passengers in your car who don't have PIP of their own.

What PIP doesn't cover

The 14-day rule

This is the rule that catches people out. To use PIP, you must get initial medical care within 14 days of the crash. If you wait until day 15, PIP can deny your medical benefits entirely.

Many people feel fine right after an accident because adrenaline masks pain. Then a stiff neck or headache shows up days later. Get checked out promptly, even if you think you're okay. An urgent care visit, an ER visit or a visit to your doctor all count as initial care when they're done by a qualified provider.

Why your PIP might pay only $2,500

The full $10,000 is available only if a qualified medical provider (a medical doctor, osteopathic doctor, dentist, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse) determines that you had an emergency medical condition. Without that determination, PIP medical benefits are capped at $2,500.

In practice, this means where you go for care, and what your provider writes down, can make a $7,500 difference. If you're unsure whether your treatment is being documented properly, ask your provider or talk to a lawyer.

How a PIP claim works

1. Get medical care within 14 days. Keep every bill, receipt and record.
2. Report the crash to your own insurer and open a PIP claim.
3. Send in your bills and proof of lost income. Your providers often bill PIP directly.
4. Watch the timeline. Florida law generally requires insurers to pay PIP benefits within 30 days of receiving written notice of the covered loss and the amount owed, or the payment can become overdue.

Keep a simple log of your appointments, missed work days and calls with the insurer. It makes everything that follows easier.

Your first two weeks after a crash: a PIP checklist

• Day 0–1: Call 911 if anyone is hurt, get a police report number, and photograph the scene, both cars and any visible injuries.
• Within a few days: See a doctor, urgent care or the ER, even if you feel okay. Tell them it's from a car crash and describe every symptom.
• Within 14 days: Make sure initial care has happened. Ask your provider whether they've documented an emergency medical condition.
• As soon as you can: Notify your own insurer and open the PIP claim. Get the claim number in writing.
• Before you talk to the other driver's insurer: Get advice. You don't have to give them a recorded statement.
• Ongoing: Follow your treatment plan and keep every bill, receipt and pay stub.

When you can step outside no-fault and sue

PIP only covers your economic losses, and only part of them. To recover the rest, including pain and suffering, you can bring a claim against the at-fault driver, but only if your injury meets Florida's serious injury threshold. That generally means one of these:

• Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function.
• A permanent injury, within a reasonable degree of medical probability.
• Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement.
• Death.

Whether an injury meets the threshold usually depends on medical evidence, which is one reason consistent treatment matters.

Two more rules apply. First, you generally have two years from the crash to file a negligence lawsuit in Florida (the deadline dropped from four years in 2023). Second, under Florida's modified comparative negligence rule, if you're found more than 50% at fault, you can't recover from the other driver. PIP still pays regardless of fault.

What if the other driver has little or no insurance?

Because bodily injury coverage isn't required in Florida, the driver who hit you may have no coverage for your injuries. That's where your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) coverage comes in. It's optional in Florida, and you have to reject it in writing to go without it. If you have it, it can cover losses the at-fault driver can't pay. Check your declarations page, or send it to us and we'll read it with you.

Frequently asked questions

Does PIP pay if the crash was my fault?

Yes. PIP pays regardless of fault, which is the point of no-fault insurance. Being at fault can affect other parts of your claim, like whether you can recover from another driver, but your own PIP benefits are available either way.

Does PIP cover my passengers?

Often, yes. Passengers who have their own PIP policy usually claim under it. Passengers who don't own a car or have PIP of their own can often claim under your policy. Each situation depends on the policies involved.

Do I need a lawyer for a PIP claim?

Not always. Simple PIP claims often go smoothly. But if your benefits were denied, capped at $2,500, or your injuries go beyond what PIP covers, it's worth a free review. Read more in do I need a personal injury lawyer?

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PIP gets your first bills paid quickly, but it was never meant to cover everything a serious crash costs. If your bills are piling up or your insurer is pushing back, talk to our car accident team. The review is free, and you pay nothing unless we recover for you.