What If My PIP Coverage Isn’t Enough to Cover My Medical Bills?
If your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage runs out before your medical bills are fully paid, you have several options to pursue additional compensation for your accident-related expenses.
Understanding PIP Limitations
In Florida, standard PIP insurance covers only 80% of medical expenses up to $10,000, which can be exhausted quickly after a serious car accident. When emergency room visits, surgeries, physical therapy, and ongoing treatment costs exceed this limit, many accident victims find themselves facing significant out-of-pocket medical bills.
Your Options When PIP Coverage Is Exhausted
Once your PIP benefits are depleted, you can seek compensation through your health insurance policy to cover remaining medical expenses. However, health insurance may not cover all accident-related treatments, and you may still be responsible for deductibles and co-pays.
More importantly, if another driver was at fault for the accident, you have the right to file a personal injury claim against their bodily injury liability insurance. This allows you to recover compensation beyond your PIP limits, including full medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages that PIP doesn’t cover.
Filing a Bodily Injury Claim
To pursue compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance, you’ll need to demonstrate that the other party was negligent and that their negligence caused your injuries. Florida law requires that your injuries meet the “serious injury threshold” to step outside of no-fault PIP coverage and file a lawsuit. This includes significant and permanent loss of an essential bodily function, permanent injury, significant scarring or disfigurement, or death.
Additional Coverage Sources
You may also have underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage on your own policy, which provides protection when the at-fault driver’s insurance is insufficient to cover your damages.
Why Legal Representation Matters After an Auto Accident?
Navigating multiple insurance policies and pursuing compensation from at-fault parties requires extensive knowledge of Florida personal injury law and insurance regulations. Insurance companies often attempt to minimize payouts or deny valid claims, especially when dealing with severe injuries and substantial medical bills.
At Williams Law Association, P.A., we help accident victims maximize their compensation when PIP coverage falls short. We’ll evaluate all available insurance policies, gather evidence to prove fault and damages, negotiate with insurance adjusters, and, if necessary, litigate your case to ensure you receive the full compensation you deserve for your medical expenses and other losses.
Don’t let insufficient PIP coverage leave you financially devastated after an accident. Contact Williams Law Association, P.A. today for a free consultation to discuss your options for recovering additional compensation. Our experienced personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case.