Personal Injury Protection (known as PIP coverage) is medical coverage included under an insured’s automobile insurance policy. PIP provides reimbursement for medically necessary expenses related to injuries caused by a covered automobile accident. An insurance claim made under PIP coverage is a PIP claim. PIP coverage varies depending on who your insurance company is. Further, you can still use PIP coverage if you were injured in someone else’s car while they were driving and they have a different insurer and policy. When you use another person’s PIP coverage, you are said to be on “borrowed coverage.” In Texas, PIP coverage allows you to recover a minimum of $2,500 in reasonable and necessary medical expenses and 80% of your loss of income from employment due to injury. PIP coverage is known for being a quick source of coverage, as it’s payable within 30 days of providing the information needed to pay the claim to the insurance company. Though not required by Texas law, PIP coverage exists in every automobile policy automatically, unless rejected in writing by each insured. In Texas, PIP coverage covers you, your family members, passengers in your car, and other injured people, regardless of who caused the accident (no-fault coverage). For insurers, such as State Farm and Allstate, a simple online claim form can be filed by the person seeking PIP coverage. Legal help is usually not required to fill out these claim forms, and insurance agents can often walk insureds through the process. (https://www.statefarm.com/claims/file-a-claim/ or https://www.allstate.com/claims/report-claim.aspx).
