What is the Florida 2012 PIP Law?
When you are in a Florida car accident, you expect to recover the expenses incurred by your medical bills — especially when you are paying for insurance to cover that very thing. Florida law requires drivers to carry Personal Injury Protection, or PIP. The intent of PIP insurance is to cover your medical expenses up to the policy limit. Generally, this is $10,000, no matter who is at fault for the accident.
However, in May of 2012, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a law reworking the PIP policy. The new revisions require drivers to pay for $10,000 in total Personal Injury Protection coverage. However, you will only recover up to $2,500 in most cases.
This is because the new PIP law only allows up to $2,500 in coverage for “less severe” injuries. To recover the full $10,000, a qualified medical provider must designate the expense as necessary for emergency care. Additionally, to qualify for any coverage you must receive medical attention within 14 days of the accident. Specific expenses like massage therapy and acupuncture no longer qualify for coverage.
Injury Victim
This law also gave insurers up to 90 days to review suspected fraud claims instead of the 30 days previously allowed. These limits clearly indicate more concern for the insurer than the actual accident victim. This might be justified if these reforms had actually brought down premiums as promised. However, there has been no sign of such reductions.
In February 2020, the House Commerce Committee voted to support HB 771 in yet another bid to overturn the system. This proposal seeks to replace the PIP requirement with mandatory bodily injury coverage.
Finding a Broward County PIP Claim Lawyer
This controversy over Personal Injury Protection reform may lead to a repeal of the whole system altogether, leaving recovery of damages up to the citizen through civil matters. Experienced Florida auto accident injury attorneys of Lisa S. Levine P.A. helps accident victims determine their current recovery options for both Personal Injury Protection insurance and from the negligent driver.
For your free consultation on what Lisa S. Levine P.A. can do for your car accident injury case in Fort Lauderdale, Weston, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Tamarac, Coral Springs, or other nearby areas, call 954-256-1820 today.
