If a car accident has left you with injuries, medical treatment will be the most vital element of your recovery. Your doctor may offer emergency treatment procedures, inpatient care, surgeries, or therapy. While you don’t want to imagine how much you’ll pay, the costs are unavoidable because you must heal.

In these circumstances, personal injury protection (PIP) auto insurance can be your savior. The coverage pays for your medical care, and you’ll worry less about the massive bills presented by your facility.

What is PIP?

PIP (sometimes referred to as no-fault insurance) is a component of automobile insurance plans focused on addressing any medical expenses resulting from a car accident. It addresses the healthcare expenses of policyholders and vehicle occupants, whether or not they have health insurance.

Sometimes, the cost of the necessary treatments exceeds the policy’s limits. In such circumstances, health insurance can take care of the additional expenses. These policies have a per-person maximum, meaning it’s limited to a specific amount per person if the incident inflicted injuries to multiple individuals.

PIP is not required in Texas. However, acquiring the coverage can help address the initial health care costs, lost income after the incident, and deductibles. The no-fault insurance coverage pays upon providing evidence of the treatment expenses, and the policyholder doesn’t need proof of liability.

PIP as Your Safety Net

After a car accident, your priority should be the well-being and safety of every occupant in the vehicle. You do not usually begin figuring out the state of your car and personal items or how you’ll move the car until after checking on everyone involved. This is usually a difficult, tense moment, further complicated by beginning to think of how you’ll get money to foot the medical bills and complete the necessary repairs.

Unfortunately, the other driver may have minimal coverage, and you may be left with additional health care expenses and repairs beyond what your insurer covers. Also, if the at-fault party causes an accident involving several cars, you may find yourself scrambling with the others for a percentage of the benefits.

So, if you’re a road accident victim and the at-fault driver’s insurer can’t compensate your financial losses, PIP in Texas can provide the space and time to recover fully. Consider it a safety net that rescues you whenever the responsible party’s coverage can’t buffer you.

Personal Injury TX vs. Health Insurance

A common misconception among those who ignore PIP in Texas is that the coverage is just like health insurance. They may share several similarities, but personal injury protection and health insurance are two different coverages.

Most people fail to realize that most health coverages offer a clause that places them second to other forms of liability insurance. This means that if a policyholder is involved in an unfortunate crash, their health coverage can deny the claim and direct them to rely on the other party’s policy. If the other party disputes liability, you’ll have to dig into your pockets to foot the medical expenses.

If the party’s insurer accepts liability, they won’t make the payments instantly. They will only make the settlement payment once the victim has “completed” their entire treatment and submitted a claim. In some instances, victims never “complete” their treatment and may experience issues spanning years. As the bills continue piling, there will be no one else to pay but you.

With personal injury coverage, you’ll simply make a claim for the opening out-of-pocket expenses resulting from the crash. The coverage will take care of your medical expenses and lost earnings within the PIP policy limit. So, the more coverage you pay for, the better.

How and When to File a PIP Claim in Texas

PIP in Texas only covers the costs that pop up within three years after the unfortunate car crash. However, it’s still important to report all expenses and injuries to your insurance provider once you learn about them.

When filing the PIP claim, ensure you include every payment documentation, bills, receipts, and other relevant documentation that’s valuable in creating a solid case and reducing the time taken. Depending on your specific expense, your claim may result in the following primary reimbursement levels:

• The coverage will pay for the entire cost of ambulance services, medical treatment, and funeral costs. Document everything you receive and the prices. You must also acquire copies of the service provider’s documentation indicating that the injuries directly link with the crash. Otherwise, it may be hard to obtain full reimbursement.
• Personal injury coverage in Texas covers 80% of the victim’s lost income due to a crash. You’ll be required to provide proof of payment before the accident and evidence that the sustained injuries directly resulted in the lost wages.
• Just like the lost wages, personal injury protection coverage addresses 80% of the caregiver services expenses.

What’s the Time Limit for Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Section 16.003 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code spells out the PIP statute of limitations. The law requires victims to file their personal injury TX civil actions within two years after the day of the accident (cause of action) that caused the injures.

If another party’s intentional act or carelessness causes an accident that leads to injury, you can request the state courts for damages (civil remedy) for the experienced losses. The two-year deadline is still applicable whether our case is based on the liability principle of intentional tort or negligence.

Notably, PIP in Texas doesn’t cover property and vehicle damages or theft. The coverage doesn’t address any damages to another party’s property and won’t pay for medical expenses and lost wages beyond the coverage limits.

You are in Safe Hands

Most car crashes leave victims confused, and you may not be well enough to begin following up your personal injury TX claim. In this case, you need a reliable attorney specialized in family-oriented PIP cases. Thompson Law Injury Lawyers can help you get the deserved financial buffer in good time to aid recovery.

Thompson Law, one of Dallas’ most reputable law firms, boasts a tremendous success rate in personal injury TX cases. What’s more, we are available around the clock, and you’ll have a qualified lawyer working your case in 15 minutes after reaching out. We thrive in sharing the success of our customers. That is why you will get a free case review from us, and you only pay us if we win.

Call us at (844) 308-8180 today, and we will begin working on your case immediately.