Personal Injury Protection Insurance

Answer:

If you’re watching this video, then you may have been injured in a car crash and you may be wondering, “How does PIP, or no-fault insurance, apply in Washington?” In Washington, we have this great coverage called personal injury protection, or PIP, which is mandatory coverage that’s required to be on every vehicle, unless you explicitly signed away your right to this coverage. Check your policy because most likely, you have this coverage.What PIP does is it pays for your medical benefits regardless of who’s at fault. If you’re at fault for a crash, your medical bills get paid. If somebody else is at fault, your medical bills still get paid. The benefit of having PIP coverage is that you get treatment without a co-pay or a deductible, so you don’t have to worry about going to the ER and getting stuck with a huge bill afterward. You can get the treatment that you need and those bills will get paid.

The minimum coverage in Washington is $10,000, which is what most people have, and you’ll probably know from seeing an ER bill that that coverage can get wiped out pretty quickly. There are options to continue coverage after that, usually through your own health insurance or through providers treating you on what’s called the lien, meaning that they wait until your case settles to get paid. That’s something that an experienced personal injury attorney can help you walk through.