Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Law – No Fault Law for Motor Vehicle Accidents – 5 tips for filling out the application

1.  Who Is Covered Under PIP?

First, your injury must stem from the use of an automobile:  either you are injured in or by someone using a motor vehicle.  Thus, if you are a driver or passenger, you are covered.  If you are a pedestrian or bike rider struck by an automobile, you are also covered. The key here, as stated, is that the negligent use of automobile caused and or directly contributed to your injury.

2.  What PIP Covers

PIP covers the reasonable and necessary medical care related to injuries received in the automobile accident, including ambulance, hospital, medical, dental and chiropractic.

PIP covers 75% of lost wages, in the case of persons employed or self-employed at the time of the accident

3.  How Much PIP Insurance is There?

$8,000.  No fault injury insurance of $8,000!

But the insurance companies make it difficult to collect all of this.  They will pay up to $2,000 for medical bills if you have medical insurance, but they will pay up to the $8,000 if your medical insurance does not cover your accident-related treatment.  This generally includes chiropractic.

For lost wages, you need to provide documentation.  There are two sets of documents:  First, a letter from your doctor saying that you need to be out of work because of the injuries from the accident.  Second, you need to prove what your lost earnings were:  a form by your employer or, if self-employed, tax returns and other proof of employment.

4.  How Can Injured Accident Victims Get The Most Out of PIP Insurance?

The insurance companies will often find ways to cut you off.  For soft tissue injuries – those in which there are no broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, significant scarring, etc. – they may send folks to their insurance doctors for an Independent Medical Exam.  These are NOT INDEPENDENT but rather, what we call, INSURANCE MEDICAL EXAMS.  The doctors that work for insurance companies undertaking these exams generally write up the same report over and over.  The effect of the report is to cut your treatment off.  Your personal injury lawyer, if effective, will do all he or she can to prevent the cut off, or get you sufficient treatment after the Insurance Doctor’s exam.

Lost earnings are another way for the insurance company to get you your full benefits.  Depending on how you fill out the form, the PIP insurance can be paid to the ambulance and hospital before there is monies for lost earnings.  Get an experienced injury attorney so your form can be filled out properly.

5.  Get A Lawyer on Your Side If You are Injured to Fill Out the PIP Form

The lawyers at Burns & Jain are experienced in representing accident victims.  Before you complete a PIP form and think that you should not worry about how it will affect your future, get a lawyer on your side.  The insurance company professionals can, and will, use your application against you.

And here is perhaps the most important point in PIP Applications:  it is not just your insurance company, but the company that represents the other side, the person that hit you, that can get ahold of your PIP application and use your words against you. 

Call the personal injury attorneys at Burns & Jain for a free consultation.  They can guide you through obtaining all the PIP benefits you are rightfully entitled to if you are injured in an automobile accident.  And, if you were not at fault, they can represent you against the person that caused the accident.  Call 617-227-7423.