Personal Injury Insurance Claim

Copyright (c) 2007 Keith Mallinson

Personal injury protection is advisable for most people depending on the everyday driving activities of the person involved. This is not just a frivolous indulgence either, especially if you have the responsibility of paying a mortgage and dependents that rely on your physical wellbeing. Personal injury protection or PIP may be a part of a larger personal insurance plan or a specific plan in and of itself. As with many things in life, it is often those that need something the most that cannot afford it and this type of insurance does not always fit into the average family's monthly expenses. The situation can be made worse when the policy has not been researched carefully and does not insure everything it was intended to.

In America personal injury protection is now a required form of insurance cover in many states although the amount does vary depending where you are in the USA. In Alaska for example a car driver will require ten times the amount of insurance cover that a driver will in Florida. Even if personal injury protection is not obligatory in your state, you may still want to consider purchasing the insurance policy to protect you from any personal injury insurance claim. Personal Injury protection will pay around 80% (depending on the insurance plan) of the costs of the insurance holder and passengers. But because personal injury protection is considered a no fault insurance policy it covers you and your passengers, even if it was your fault, for medical bills, expenses and any lost earnings.

Before you purchase personal injury protection, you would be advised to take a look at your current policies and see whether or not the areas covered by the proposed personal injury protection are not already duplicated with other insurance plans. It could be that the cost of lost wages and medical bills may be recovered through an existing health insurance policy. If you were to discover this it may only be necessary to take out a minimal cover personal injury protection policy and possibly not require one at all.

Your driving record can also be a contributing factor when considering whether or not you actually require personal injury protection. If you carry passengers on a regular basis your health insurance might cover your own medical expenses, it won't however, cover those of your passengers (unless they are members of your family who are on your health plan). If, after checking your current health insurance you find that passengers are not protected by the policy you will be required to ensure they are covered by a personal injury protection plan in the event of an accident. It is not unfair to assume that any person traveling in your vehicle should be the responsibility of the driver and insured individual.

If you live in a state that does not have mandatory personal injury protection you may want to add this into your insurance portfolio. Many drivers find they only require minimal personal injury protection cover as they are middle aged, experienced drivers with a good record and already have an adequate health insurance plan in force. Younger drivers however, do not fair so well if they are inexperienced with little insurance cover in place but they are often in greater need of good health insurance cover to protect themselves and any family they have. Accidents unfortunately happen but before you rush into buying insurance cover, look into the subject as it could save you some money but more importantly will make you feel more secure when you drive with passengers.