Personal Injury Protection Insurance

You may be wondering after you’ve been involved in an accident, what are the benefits of having PIP insurance, and what is PIP insurance anyway? In Virginia, PIP insurance is actually known as MedPay. MedPay coverage is an optional coverage you can buy on your own car that protects you and the people in your car by payment of medical expenses related to the injury that you’ve sustained in an auto accident. In D.C, there is a PIP statute, but the PIP statute is an elective statute that says it’s your exclusive remedy, so normally you would not want to use that unless you do not intend to pursue the other party for any additional injuries, such as pain and suffering, or expenses beyond the coverage limit in your PIP insurance. If you have a claim that severe, you should not use your PIP insurance. Instead, you should talk with your attorney about finding other sources of coverage to help you pay for your ongoing medical expenses and wage loss. PIP insurance, in essence, is a combination of medical cost reimbursement for your accident-related injuries, plus a wage loss component for the time you’re out that the doctor’s say it’s medically necessary you not work because of your injuries. Maryland has a slightly different coverage than D.C. It’s much more like Virginia’s in that it reimburses your medical expenses regardless of who’s at fault. It doesn’t matter if you caused the crash or the other party caused the crash; you still get the benefit. It includes a wage loss component as well as a medical expense reimbursement, so that’s the difference between Maryland and Virginia.