Personal injury protection (PIP), also referred to as no-fault insurance, may assist with covering expenditures such as medical bills, missed earnings, or funeral costs, regardless of who was at fault for the road accident. Different states have different minimum requirements for this type of coverage.
The personal injury protection (PIP) component of a vehicle’s insurance policy, commonly referred to as “no-fault insurance,” reimburses policyholders for medical costs incurred due to a collision with another car. PIP pays for the medical expenditures of wounded policyholders and passengers, even if some of the people involved in the accident do not have health insurance.
Some policies may contain a “per-person maximum,” restricting the coverage to a per-victim maximum. Also, in some cases, health insurance may pay additional costs if the PIP is not enough to cover the expenses.
PIP insurance pays for the incident-associated policyholder’s and passengers’ medical and rehabilitation costs – operations, hospitalization, professional care, lost wages, funeral expenditures, accidental death benefits, and home care (daycare, maid service, etc.) – regardless of who was at fault.
| Personal Injury Protection (PIP) | Liability Insurance |
| Pays for the incident-associated policyholder’s and passengers’ medical and rehabilitation costs | Pays for the injured party’s medical bills if the policyholder is at fault for the accident. |
| Required in 12 states | Required in every state |
| Does not cover property damage | Covers damage to a third party’s property if the policyholder is at fault, but does not cover damage to the policyholder’s property. |
PIP is reasonably inexpensive. You may anticipate paying from $5 to $50 monthly in premiums. Note, however, that the cost of PIP insurance is often higher in no-fault states.
| State | PIP Policy | State Status |
| Arkansas | Optional | At-Fault |
| Delaware | Required | At-Fault |
| Florida | Required | No-Fault |
| Hawaii | Required | No-Fault |
| Kansas | Required | No-Fault |
| Kentucky | Optional | No-Fault |
| Maine | MedPay Required | At-Fault |
| Maryland | Optional | At-Fault |
| Massachusetts | Required | No-Fault |
| Michigan | Required (Medicaid recipients who are driving now have the option to opt out) | No-Fault |
| Minnesota | Required | No-Fault |
| New Jersey | Required | No-Fault |
| New York | Required | No-Fault |
| North Dakota | Required | No-Fault |
| Oregon | Required | At-Fault |
| Pennsylvania | Medical Benefits Required | No-Fault |
| South Dakota | Optional | At-Fault |
| Texas | Optional | At-Fault |
| Utah | Required | No-Fault |
| Virginia | Optional | At-Fault |
| Washington | Optional | At-Fault |
| Washington D.C. | Optional | At-Fault |
Depending on the state, you may have a year to four years to file a PIP claim.
Do not talk with an insurance adjuster working for someone else because they may force you to make comments that would reduce or eliminate their insured’s responsibility.
The damages you may be able to collect if you are partially at fault vary from state to state. Only a few jurisdictions follow the contributory negligence rule, which holds that a victim cannot collect any damages if they were even partially responsible for the incident in which they were injured.
Only a small percentage of personal injury claims ever end up in court. Most cases are resolved by agreement with the defendant or insurance company.
Oleksandr is an expert in deep research. He covers various insurance topics across verticals, adopting to every local law.
