PIP (Personal Injury Protection) Insurance
Posted Friday, May 1, 2020 by Chris Thayer
The state of Washington does not require a driver to purchase Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. However, this type of insurance is required under law to be offered to consumers in Washington, therefore it is important to understand your choices as it comes to insurance, or what to do if you are in an accident involving someone else with PIP insurance.
*PIP Insurance*PIP is a category of auto insurance coverage. While some states require their drivers to purchase PIP insurance, the state of Washington does not require this coverage. However, under Washington law, an insurance company must offer this type of coverage to each consumer. The consumer must reject PIP coverage in writing. If a person does not reject the PIP coverage in writing, they will receive it and the insurance company will charge them for this coverage.
*Understanding PIP Insurance *PIP car insurance operates differently than typical car insurance in that a driver must first file an insurance claim following a car accident under their own insurance policy before filing a claim with the car insurance from the other driver, even if the accident was their fault. PIP auto insurance coverage applies to three different types of damages available — medical costs, wage loss costs, and funeral costs.
- Medical costs. Many victims of a car accident suffer injuries as a result of the accident. PIP insurance will cover emergency room services, diagnostic imaging or testing, hospital expenses, specialist appointments, medication, physician appointments, rehabilitation, therapy and more.
- Lost wages. Depending on the amount of PIP coverage a driver has, they may be able to cover a great deal of the wages they lost due to their inability to return to work following an accident. Death benefits. If a victim dies as a result of their injuries from a car accident, PIP - insurance provides compensation to the family of the loved one that passed away. PIP coverage compensation can be used for any funeral expenses.
*Legal Right to Sue *If you have PIP coverage, or if the other driver in your accident has PIP coverage, it may not cover the complete amount of expenses suffered due to the car accident. Having PIP coverage does not eliminate a person’s legal right to file a claim in court for compensation for the remaining amount in a personal injury case. Every PIP insurance policy will be different and may include an unlimited right to sue for all economic and non-economic damages including pain and suffering, or only include a limited right to sue for damages following a car accident.
*Arbitration*Due to the fact that there are oftentimes insurance disputes, many claims regarding car accidents will result in arbitration. If a PIP case ends up in arbitration, a neutral third party will make the decision regarding how best to resolve any disputes.
*Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney *If you were injured in a car accident, and either you or the other driver has PIP insurance, you may be confused about how best to proceed with your claim to receive the compensation you deserve. Contact an experienced car accident attorney familiar with product liability law at the Pivotal Law Group at 206-340-2008. We proudly serve the Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Burien, Mercer Island, and Issaquah areas.