What is Personal Injury Protection?

Personal injury protection is an extension of your auto insurance.  It was originally made to give injured drivers or others in the car, immediate coverage for medical expenses up to $10,000.  This would reduce the wait time if a court had to determine fault.  Florida is among nine other states that have required personal injury protection.  The personal injury protection legislation was also supposed to limit the use of the already overburdened court system.

Florida, like other states, has witnessed an alarming rise in personal injury claims compared to a decrease in collisions.  These claims rose 66% in 4 years and litigation rose 387%.  These figures coincide with Florida leading the nation in questionable claims and stages crashes.  Florida has responded to this situation by changing the personal injury protection law.  The changes took place January 1, 2103.

Some changes that have taken place with the updated personal injury protection legislation has a time limit on seeking initial treatment. There was no time limit on receiving treatments and now it is 14 days.   And the monetary limit on coverage was reduced from $10,000 to $2,500.    If someone has serious injuries they would still receive the higher amount of coverage.  Some treatments are no longer covered.  Acupuncturists and massage therapists can no longer treat patients under the personal injury protection legislation.  All of these recent changes have Florida citizens wondering if while their coverage is being shrunk, are the insurance companies experiencing a windfall.  Some premiums have jumped from $500 to $3,600 for the year.  How can anyone one person handle? Different groups will no doubt challenge these changes to the law.  There is already a coalition so acupuncturists, massage therapists and chiropractors have filed a lawsuit to fight the limits being imposed on certain medical professionals.

What if you are in a state that does not require personal injury protection insurance?  Someone in this situation really has to look at other insurances they carry.  Do you have a health coverage provider?  If so, does that provider cover injuries from automobile accidents? Perhaps you have Medicaid?  Review whatever plan you have.

Insurances are always changing, it seems.  What they cover is less and less and we pay more and more.  Although the cost of personal injury protection has increased it still is a