When you are hurt in an automobile accident, you might worry about who will pay your expenses. It is because of this problem that Massachusetts included a no-fault portion in each and every automobile insurance policy. It will cover certain expenses for people hurt in an automobile accident, whoever is at fault. This is Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits, and it's second in our series of blog posts regarding Automobile Insurance. In this post, we will talk about who is covered, what is covered, and how much your insurance company will pay.

First, there are three classes of people who will be covered under PIP:

  1. Anyone injured while in your car will be covered. Whether you are alone or driving a minivan full of your friends.
  2. You or anyone you live with will be covered should you or they be in a car not covered by a Massachusetts insurance policy, or if struck by a car which doesn't have a Massachusetts insurance policy. This would be triggered should you, your roommate, or your family member, be in a car registered in another state that gets in an accident.
  3. Benefits will also cover any pedestrian struck by your car.

Second, there are three types of benefits that are encompassed by PIP:

  1. Medical Expenses: your insurance company will pay for "reasonable" medical expenses, including the cost of an ambulance, the emergency room, physical therapy, or chiropractic care. It will also cover diagnostic tests and prosthetic devices.
  2. Lost Wages: your company will reimburse you for 75% of your lost wages if you miss work because of an accident.
  3. Replacement Services: your insurance company will reimburse you for payments made to someone outside your household for necessary services that you cannot do anymore.

Finally, there is the question of how much your company will pay you. As always, the answer is: it depends.

  1. If you have no health insurance, your company will pay the first $8,000 of medical expenses, lost wages, and replacement services.
  2. If you have public health insurance, like Mass Health, the same rules apply.
  3. If you have private health insurance, your company will pay the first $2,000 of benefits, and then, if there are any expenses not covered by your health insurance, your company will cover those expenses up to a total of $8,000. 

Of course, there are many variables that go into the determination of how much your company will pay, including whether you have optional Medical Payment coverage and whether the coverage is for medical expenses or lost wages.

In sum, Personal Injury Protection, though conceived as a simple way to ensure that people in an accident are covered, has morphed into something that's difficult to understand, especially for someone trying to navigate the process on his/her own. The attorneys at Marcotte Law Firm have the knowledge and ability to make this process smooth and easy , so those who are injured can focus on recovery. If you are injured in an automobile accident, regardless of whether your injuries are minimal, catastrophic, or anything in between, call Marcotte Law Firm to make sure you're not leaving anything on the table.