Personal injury protection (PIP) is a type of auto insurance coverage that provides medical and other benefits for a victim injured in a car accident. PIP will cover a policyholder regardless of fault for the car accident. Personal injury protection insurance is an optional form of coverage in Connecticut since it is not a no-fault state.
What Does Personal Injury Protection Insurance Cover?
Personal injury protection car insurance pays for medical expenses needed by the driver and any injured passengers, regardless of who is at fault for the car accident. This can also include any deductibles paid through the victim’s health insurance coverage. If the policyholder was not the individual driving, PIP would still cover medical care and other losses. This includes if the policyholder was an injured bicyclist in Connecticut or an injured pedestrian.
PIP insurance can help reimburse an accident victim’s lost wages if he or she has to miss work. This includes any wages for hours missed, commissions, tips, and employment benefits. If the policyholder is an independent contractor, PIP can pay for temporary workers needed to perform tasks. PIP insurance can also cover household services that cannot be performed by the victim, such as childcare or house cleaning.
In the event of a fatal car accident in Connecticut, the deceased victim’s surviving dependents can use personal injury protection insurance to help replace the decedent’s lost income. Reasonable funeral costs and burial or cremation expenses for the decedent can also be reimbursed through a PIP claim. PIP does not cover property damage or the other driver’s injuries and medical bills.
Is Connecticut a No-Fault Auto Insurance State?
No, Connecticut is not a no-fault state. It uses a fault-based car accident law that allows injured parties to hold the at-fault driver or party financially responsible for related losses. After a car accident, an injured victim must determine fault and file a claim with that party’s car insurance company to recover the costs of medical bills and property repairs. If the at-fault driver does not have insurance, PIP can provide coverage for the victim’s injuries and losses.
PIP Is Optional in Connecticut
PIP insurance is also known as no-fault insurance. Since Connecticut is a fault-based state, personal injury protection is not a required type of insurance. Instead, all drivers are required to carry liability insurance to pay for losses suffered by other parties.
The required amounts of insurance are:
$25,000 per person in bodily injury liability
$50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability
$25,000 in property damage liability
$25,000 per person in uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance
$50,000 per accident in uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance
A driver can purchase optional types of coverage, including PIP insurance, for added protection in the event of a car accident. Other optional types of coverage include collision insurance, comprehensive insurance and rental car reimbursement.
How Does a PIP Claim Work?
If you get injured in an automobile accident and wish to use your PIP insurance, report the collision to your car insurance company without delay. After investigating the claim, your insurer should offer a settlement value that is fair based on the extent of your injuries, the price of your medical care, the other losses listed in your claim and your PIP insurance limits.
If your insurance company refuses to offer a reasonable settlement or denies your personal injury protection claim in Connecticut, contact a Wallingford car accident attorney at Loughlin FitzGerald, P.C. for legal assistance.
