Will PIP Insurance Continue in Florida?
What is PIP insurance?
Most Florida drivers have heard of PIP insurance but many drivers have no idea what it is.
Florida is one of ten states that have personal injury protection (no fault) auto insurance. The intention was to provide injured drivers up to $10,000 in immediate medical coverage in lieu of establishing fault through the court system. The goal was to reduce payment delay for injured drivers, as well as limit the utilization of the court system. In Florida, PIP coverage is required to be purchased by all owners of motor vehicles registered in this state. PIP coverage makes the individual responsible for their own injuries in an accident regardless of fault.
No-fault insurance coverage, such as PIP, makes it more difficult for the policyholder to sue. There are state laws that you’ll have to go through before determining if you are legally allowed to pursue a lawsuit. Some exceptions to this rule include death, serious injury, or damages that meet or exceeded a set threshold. PIP also helps protect you against lawsuits and generally saves you money.
In recent years, the number of drivers and auto accidents has remained relatively constant, but the amount of PIP claims, and PIP payments has skyrocketed. The National Insurance Crime Bureau lists Florida as having several cities reporting the highest amount of “questionable claims” nationally. While PIP premium represents roughly two percent of Florida’s collected insurance premium, this issue accounts for nearly 50 percent of fraud referrals.
Should Florida keep PIP coverage?
Governor Rick Scott and others have made a push to eliminate the PIP coverage requirement but has not been successful in these efforts. The goal to eliminate PIP is to help reduce insurance costs for motorist as well as minimalize the fraud associated with PIP claims. Under the proposal spearheaded by Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, the proposal would eliminate the $10,000 no-fault coverage in 2018 while mandating motorists get at least $25,000 in coverage for bodily injury or death and $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people. More than 90 percent of motorists have PIP and some form of bodily-injury coverage, which is why most motorists would be projected to see a savings from eliminating no-fault. Opponents have stated that by eliminating the PIP coverage it would put more questions of medical coverage into the courts, as injured parties would seek to recoup expenses from at-fault drivers.
Because of how no-fault insurance laws function, it’s easy for scammers to defraud the system by falsifying records, inflating medical bills and injuries, and even staging car accidents. No-fault states like Florida and New York have historically had a problem with fraud. In 2011, for instance, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) named Florida as the state with the most questionable claims from staged accidents. New York came in second.
Reasons to Consult an Accident Attorney at The Law Office of Luis Cartaya, PA ?
Consider hiring an accident attorney if any of the following apply to you:
Auto Accident Injuries
Severe Injuries
Long-Term or Permanently Disabling Injuries
Disputed Liability from an accident
When an insurance company disputes its policyholder’s liability for the car crash, the company is basically saying that the policyholder is not at fault (or is at least claiming you don’t have enough proof of fault) and, therefore, the insurance company is not responsible for paying for your damages.
An accident attorney at The Law Office of Luis Cartaya, PA will help you through the process so contact us anytime to discuss your options.
