Florida’s motor vehicle laws try to balance responsibility between everyone on the roadways. To this effect, the state has enacted a personal injury protection insurance requirement for all drivers. This is also often called No Fault Insurance because, as the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles explains, this insurance is designed to provide the driver with coverage regardless of who is at fault in an accident.
PIP insurance covers the driver and anyone in the vehicle who does not own a covered vehicle. Each vehicle owner is covered by their own insurance even if they were not driving when the accident occurs, which means even pedestrians involved in an accident will use their own insurance. Coverage required is a minimum of $10,000 in PIP.
The Florida bar explains how PIP coverage works, stating that the idea behind this requirement is to reduce the amount sued for in court as a result of motor vehicle accidents. As with any insurance, the deductible must be paid before the insurance kicks in. There is a maximum deductible of $1,000 allowed.
Road rage or other violent driving-related actions that may result in physical harm are usually covered by PIP, but the people in the other vehicle may not be covered. If drivers are in an accident outside of the state, the insurance will only cover them if they are driving their own vehicle. Only those who live in the driver’s home and are related to him or her are covered in these cases. Within the state, PIP coverage usually will pay up to $5,000 for a death, and if a person incurs medical expenses, it will pay 80 percent of those. Any wages lost from missing work due to the accident will be covered by 60 percent.
