Good Fences And Not So Good Neighbors: Property Law 101

The Dos And Don'ts Of Buying Personal Injury Protection Coverage

14 November 2014 by Hunter Moore

If you live in a "no-fault" state that requires drivers to carry personal injury protection coverage, such as Michigan or Pennsylvania, then you might find yourself understandably confused with your auto insurance policy. After all, unlike other states, no-fault states do not assign fault to any driver involved in a motor vehicle collision. As a result, if you get into a car accident and incur medical bills as a result, you may not be able to sue the other driver. Instead, you'll have to rely on your personal injury protection coverage to kick in and cover the expenses for you.

Read on to explore a few important dos and don'ts to keep in mind as you shop for personal injury protection.

DO Take Advantage of Your Current Medical Insurance

If you have a health insurance policy, you may already be covered when it comes to medical expenses incurred as a result of a car accident. As a result, you may be able to set your personal injury protection coverage as a secondary form of coverage, allowing you to pay significantly less on your insurance premium. However, in order to do this, you'll need to verify in your health insurance documents that car-accident-related medical bills are, in fact, covered. Your auto insurance company may even require you to fax the paperwork over to prove it.

DO Understand Limitations

If you do a lot of out-of-state driving, you'll want to be aware of how your personal injury protection coverage will impact you if you get into a car accident while driving in a state that doesn't have no-fault insurance regulations. Will your coverage still pay for your medical bills or will the coverage be void once you're in an at-fault state? The answer to this question can vary depending on your auto insurance company and your specific policy, so be sure to check with your agent.

DON'T Assume You Can't Sue

Just because you live in a no-fault state, this doesn't always mean you forfeit your ability to sue if you've been involved in a car accident. There are exceptions to this in many states. Specifically, in instances where a serious death or injury occurs or when the damages exceed the coverage amount in one's insurance policy, it may be possible to sue. However, if you decide to pursue this route, you'll want to make sure you have an attorney, like those at A Personal Injury Network, on your side.

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