Get Personal Injury Protection Coverage

Drivers in some states called "no-fault states" must purchase personal injury protection (PIP) coverage on their car insurance policy, but you can also purchase this coverage in states where it is not required and available. Personal injury protection provides coverage for you and your passengers if you are injured in an auto accident, whether the accident is your fault or not.

Personal injury protection (PIP) covers you and your passengers for a variety of things up to your policy limit in the event of an accident:

• Medical bills you incur from the accident

• Reimbursement for lost time at work due to the accident

• The cost of medical rehabilitation expenses due to the accident

• Coverage for things you cannot do because of the injuries you incurred in the accident, such as childcare, house cleaning, and transportation services.

• Funeral expenses and benefits to survivors of a driver or passenger involved in the accident

Remember that the personal injury protection coverage on your auto insurance policy must be exhausted before your health insurance will cover the rest of your medical or rehabilitation expenses.

What is a No-Fault State?

No-fault states are those that require drivers to carry personal injury protection coverage on their car insurance policies to protect themselves and their passengers from being unable to pay for the medical expenses and accompanying hardships that may come from a car accident, regardless of who is at fault. There are 12 states in the U.S. that require PIP coverage through their no-fault insurance laws:

• Florida

• Hawaii

• Kansas

• Kentucky

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Minnesota

• New Jersey

• New York

• North Dakota

• Pennsylvania

• Utah

The amount of personal injury protection that a driver must carry varies by state, so you should check the requirements in your state when purchasing this coverage. A PIP limit is represented by the total amount of coverage followed by the per week loss of income benefit per person. For example, New York has a PIP requirement of $5,000/$200, which translates to a total of $5,000 of coverage per person and a maximum of $200 per week for loss of income for that person up to the policy limit. However, you can purchase higher limits of PIP in all of these states if you would like more protection than your state requires. You can speak with a local insurance agent or your insurance company to determine how much PIP coverage your state requires.