What Is the Florida Personal Injury Protection Rule?

Many Florida residents ask the question, “What is the Florida personal injury protection rule?” The personal protection law requires Florida motorists to maintain personal injury protection insurance, also called PIP. PIP is one of two types of required insurance for all registered four-wheel vehicles, the second being property damage liability, or PDL.

Personal injury protection is insurance that covers 80% of all reasonable and necessary medical expenses and provides up to $10,000 of coverage. PIP covers accident-related injuries, regardless of who is at fault for the crash. PDL, on the other hand, covers damages and injuries to other parties involved in the accident. It also covers other drivers of an otherwise insured vehicle.

What Is the Florida Personal Injury Protection Rule Requirement?

According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there are certain requirements of the Florida personal protection rule that every driver who owns a vehicle must meet to lawfully own and operate a vehicle in the state. All currently registered vehicle owners in Florida must be in compliance with the following criteria:

• Drivers must obtain PIP and PDL auto insurance prior to registering their vehicle.
• The coverage must be from a company that is licensed to sell insurance policies in Florida.
• Drivers must maintain the state minimum required coverage of $10,000 for both PIP and PDL.
• Coverage must be continuous, whether the vehicle is in use or inoperable.

Avoiding License Suspension and Reinstatement Fees

Florida is very particular about its 18.5 million licensed drivers maintaining these state minimums for coverage, and failure to keep valid insurance can result in bothersome consequences. Understanding state laws, requirements, and policy rules will ensure you are in compliance and won’t have trouble regarding Florida’s personal injury protection rule.

Failure to comply with these laws can result in the loss of driving privileges and the suspension of your license plate for up to three years. Reinstatement fees are mandatory and can cost as much as $500. Despite these stiff penalties, there are still around one million uninsured registered vehicles in Florida.

The easiest way to avoid complications like these is, if you are the owner of one of 16 million vehicles registered in Florida, to keep your car insurance active at all times. As long as you have possession of the vehicle’s license plates, you’ll need to keep your insurance on. The only time you don’t need insurance is when you don’t have physical possession of your plates within the State of Florida.

One caveat to this rule of thumb, though, is if a vehicle owner plans to own a vehicle but not drive it. If a vehicle owner/driver plans to stop driving a vehicle, they still must surrender the plates, but they must wait to cancel their insurance coverage until after they have surrendered the vehicle’s tag/license plate.

Also, if you are moving out of state, you must keep Florida coverage until you register your vehicle in your new state and then surrender the plates.

Surrendering Your License Plates

As explained, the safest way to maintain compliance with Florida state laws is to keep insurance until you no longer have possession of your plates. You can surrender your license plate at your local driver’s license office, motor vehicle service center, or Tax Collector’s office. Note that many driver’s license offices and motor vehicle service center locations are also Tax Collector’s offices.

FAQs

Q: How Does Personal Injury Protection Work in Florida?

A: Florida’s personal injury protection insurance pays for 80% of injuries incurred by a car accident, whether the driver is at fault or not, up to $10,000 for emergency medical expenses, but only up to $2,500 for non-emergency medical expenses. The remaining 20% serves as a co-pay. Sixty percent of lost income is also covered. Coverage extends to any eligible person who resides in the same household as the insured.

Q: Can You Reject PIP in Florida?

A: No, you cannot reject PIP or personal injury protection insurance in Florida. Failing to maintain the state minimum of PIP coverage of $10,000 can result in strict penalties, such as fines, loss of driver’s license, suspension of your license plate and tag, and problems recovering losses if you are injured in an accident. All vehicles registered in the State of Florida are required to carry PIP insurance as well as PDL, or property damage liability, insurance.

Q: What Is the 14-Day PIP Rule in Florida?

A: The 14-day PIP rule in Florida refers to the limited time individuals have to seek medical care for an accident to receive personal injury protection benefits, such as compensation for medical expenses that resulted from the accident. These benefits are available regardless of whether the driver was at fault or not, as long as the injured party initiates medical services for the injury within 14 days of the accident.

Understanding the Florida Personal Injury Protection Rule

Florida automobile insurance laws are complex and extensive. The FLHSMV provides a customer service center phone number for drivers who have questions regarding Florida statutes at (850) 617-2000. Alternatively, you may wish to speak to an attorney. The FLHSMV recommends consulting with an attorney if you receive compensation from your insurance company for any injuries or damages resulting from the accident.

The truth is, you don’t have to understand all the laws if you have a trustworthy attorney with experience and dedication. At Paul Figueroa Law, we understand what our clients need, and that is help. If you need help with your legal case, let us stand with you and for you. Contact us by phone or online and get someone on your side.