No Fault Insurance in Florida
In Florida, you may hear drivers refer to their No-fault insurance or PIP (also known as Personal Injury Protection) set off. Under Florida law, all drivers of motor vehicles with at least four wheels (that’s right, golf carts and four wheelers qualify too!) are required to purchase an auto insurance police with two types of coverage:Property Damage Liability (PDL) and Personal Injury Protection (PIP). The state requires that each type must have a minimum amount of $10,000. See Florida Statute 627.736
Each type has its own distinction and is explained below:
Property Damage (PDL/PD) Insurance
PDL Insurance covers not only you, but also a family member or other covered person driving your vehicle who may cause damage to another’s vehicle while driving. For instance, if your spouse backs into the neighbor’s mailbox while using your car for the day, PDL insurance will replace your neighbor’s mailbox. However, PDL is just that –liability insurance for another person’s property that you cause damage to. It does not cover damages to your vehicle. Although highly recommended by all,Florida law does not require coverage that insures your own vehicle.
PIP Insurance
On the other hand, PIP follows the person and is meant to provide at least some coverage for you and qualified parties. With PIP, it is irrelevant who is at fault for the crash or injuries. If a car accident occurs, a PIP qualification process initiates. The hierarchy is as follows: (1) Do you have PIP or own and operable vehicle; (2) Do you live with a blood relative that has PIP; OR (3) Does the owner of the vehicle (you were in) involved in the accident have PIP. It applies in these special scenarios as well:
- Pedestrians/bicyclists who have been injured by vehicles
- Children injured on school buses
Additional insurance, bodily injury liability (BI) is also available, but not required in the state of Florida. This insurance covers medical and funeral costs that you or a family member may cause while driving. BI insurance has its benefits because it covers you or another person driving your car when you are the main cause of an accident.
Also, Uninsured and under insured motorist (UM) coverage pays out if another driver causes an accident and is under insured. UM provides liability insurance to cover you and the passengers’ in your vehicle.
If you have questions about your PIP benefits, please do not hesitate to contact us at Quattrochi, Torres, and Taormina, PA where we will put together a team of experienced personal injury attorneys to assist you in maximizing the best possible chance for your claim.