Florida No-Fault Insurance Explained (PIP)

Florida is a no-fault state, which means your own auto insurance, not the other driver’s, pays for your initial medical treatment and a portion of lost wages after a car accident, regardless of who caused the crash. This coverage is called Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, and Florida law requires every registered vehicle to carry at least $10,000 in PIP coverage.

What PIP Covers

• 80 percent of reasonable and necessary medical expenses, up to your policy limit.
• 60 percent of lost wages if the injury keeps you from working.
• A death benefit of up to $5,000 if the accident is fatal.

PIP does not cover pain and suffering, and it will not pay for property damage to your vehicle. That coverage falls under a separate property damage liability policy.

Who Is Covered Under Your PIP Policy

Your PIP coverage doesn’t only protect you as the driver. It typically extends to resident relatives living in your household, passengers riding in your car at the time of the accident, and even you as a pedestrian or cyclist if you’re struck by a motor vehicle. If you don’t own a car or carry your own policy, you may still be covered under a resident relative’s PIP policy, which is worth checking before assuming you have no coverage at all. This is also why the order in which insurers are asked to pay matters: your own policy is typically the first line of coverage regardless of who caused the crash, before any other policy is considered.

The 14-Day Treatment Rule

To access PIP benefits at all, you must receive initial treatment within 14 days of the accident. On top of that deadline, Florida law limits your PIP payout to $2,500 unless a physician, physician assistant, dentist, or advanced practice registered nurse determines you have an emergency medical condition. Without that determination, your $10,000 in coverage effectively shrinks to $2,500, even if your injuries turn out to be serious.

When You Can Go Beyond PIP

Because PIP alone rarely covers a serious injury, Florida allows injured drivers to pursue a claim against the at-fault driver’s bodily injury liability coverage if their injuries meet the state’s permanent injury threshold. This generally means a significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, permanent injury other than scarring, permanent significant scarring or disfigurement, or death. Meeting this threshold is what allows you to recover for pain and suffering, which PIP does not provide.

Why This Matters for Your Claim

Many injured drivers assume PIP will cover everything and are surprised when medical bills quickly exceed their policy limit. Understanding early whether your injuries may meet the permanent injury threshold affects how your case should be handled from the start, including what kind of medical documentation matters most.