What to Know About Personal Injury Protection Coverage in Florida

Florida requires drivers to purchase a minimum amount of personal injury protection (PIP). Within the Sunshine State’s no-fault insurance system, PIP coverage pays for your and your passengers’ injuries after a car accident, regardless of who caused it.1

In addition to paying for your medical costs after an accident-related injury, PIP coverage can help cover lost wages. It can also pay for services you can no longer perform due to the injury, like child care or cleaning. In some cases, PIP coverage also kicks in for funeral costs.2

Here’s what you should know about Florida car insurance requirements for PIP coverage, including how it works and how to file a claim.

How PIP coverage works in Florida

Florida drivers must have a PIP insurance policy that covers 80% of their necessary medical expenses, lost wages, and injury-related costs up to $10,000. Unlike drivers in some other states, Florida drivers can’t opt out of this mandatory coverage.

Additionally, Florida requires drivers to have at least $10,000 in property damage liability coverage. If you get in a car accident, your PIP coverage will kick in regardless of whether you caused the accident.

What does PIP cover?

Personal injury protection covers both you and your passengers after a crash. The coverage includes both medical and non-medical expenses. Although the exact details of your coverage vary depending on your insurance company, PIP insurance usually includes:

Keep in mind that you’ll need to pay your deductible before your PIP coverage kicks in. For example, if you have a $250 deductible, you’ll need to cover $250 in medical bills. After that, your policy picks up the rest of the tab, up to the PIP limits of your insurance policy.

If you plan to lean on your Florida PIP insurance, you’ll need to seek necessary medical treatment within 14 days of the car accident. If you seek initial care for accident-related coverage after this 14-day mark, your PIP policy might not cover your subsequent medical treatment.3

What PIP excludes

While Florida PIP insurance policies cover medical costs from a car accident injury, they don’t cover every accident-related expense.

A PIP insurance policy won’t include the following coverages:

• Bodily injury liability coverage

• Property damage liability coverage

• Collision coverage

• Comprehensive coverage

• Uninsured motorist coverage

After a car accident, your PIP coverage won’t help you pay for repairs to your vehicle or another driver’s vehicle.

If you want to better protect your wallet, consider purchasing bodily injury liability insurance in addition to PIP coverage. Also, consider getting a full-coverage policy, which includes comprehensive insurance and collision coverage.

Medical payments vs. PIP coverage

Although not required, medical payments coverage, sometimes called MedPay, is another option for Florida drivers.4

Similar to personal injury protection coverage, MedPay covers reasonable medical treatment after a crash-related injury, regardless of fault. In contrast to PIP coverage, MedPay pays for only medical expenses and funeral services. MedPay coverage won’t pay for essential services or lost wages.

For drivers seeking more protection from medical costs after an accident, MedPay coverage might be worth it. Since it isn’t required, many drivers choose not to purchase this optional coverage.

Filing a PIP claim in Florida

If you need to file a PIP insurance claim, follow these steps:

Throughout the process, speed up your insurer’s work by promptly providing any information the insurance company requests. Typically, you must start a PIP insurance claim within 14 days of the car accident for the insurance company to accept the claim.

Florida PIP FAQs