When you get into a car accident, you naturally look to your car insurance provider for assistance. That’s why you pay them, right? If you are hoping that they will cover the cost of your damages, the plan that you should be concerned with is your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage.
Personal injury protection is optional coverage offered by all auto insurers that can cover your medical expenses and lost wages due to an injury suffered in a car accident. How much you stand to recover depends on the size of your plan and the number of injured passengers in your vehicle. If the insurance company rejects your claim, you could file a lawsuit against them to recover the damages plus additional compensation for their bad faith practices, but you must file within two years.
If you are concerned about how much you could recover or want to pursue compensation from a rejected claim, call the dedicated Fort Worth car accident lawyers at The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. We offer complementary first appointments to all potential clients so that they can hear about their options and make an informed decision on their next steps. To schedule yours today, call us at (817) 476-1797.
What is Personal Injury Protection Insurance Coverage?
Personal injury protection coverage is auto insurance coverage that protects the policy owner in case of an accident. However, rather than covering the damages to other drivers or their vehicles, PIP insurance covers your own costs when you are involved in an accident. PIP is not required for drivers in Texas, unlike the coverage that applies to other drivers. However, having personal injury protection can be beneficial if you find yourself in a situation where you have sustained serious injuries due to an accident.
What Does Personal Injury Protection Cover in Texas?
PIP coverage can compensate you for all of the financial aspects of a car accident, regardless of who is at fault for the accident. If the other driver is at fault for the accident, you may be able to pursue a lawsuit against that driver and recover from their insurer for their negligent or reckless conduct behind the wheel. An injury lawsuit against another driver can get you substantially more compensation than your PIP insurance might provide, so speak to a Texas car accident lawyer about which route suits your case best.
The most expensive costs resulting from a car accident are typically those spent on your medical treatment. Surgeries, hospital stays, laboratory testing and imaging, ambulance fees, and physical rehabilitation will all likely be coverable expenses under your PIP plan.
Your injuries may impact your ability to work or provide necessary services to your family such as childcare. Your personal injury protection coverage may help you by compensating you for any lost wages or the cost of necessary replacement services.
How Much Will Your Personal Injury Protection Insurance Cover in Texas?
Your PIP coverage will only extend as far as the plan that you selected. In Texas, all PIP insurance plans are required to provide at least $2,500 per person in coverage. You can also opt to pay more in premiums to enjoy a higher level of coverage.
If you are injured in an accident, your recovery will be capped at the amount available through your personal injury protection plan. However, the coverage amount applies separately to each person in your car who suffered harms in the accident.
For instance, if you were in an accident by yourself and carried a PIP plan with a value of $10,000 per person, you could claim up to $10,000 in financial consequences for your accident. If your spouse was in the car and was also injured in the accident, you and your spouse could each claim up to $10,000, for a total of $20,000.
To support your PIP insurance claim, you will have to submit evidence of the harms you sustained and how much they have (and will) cost you. This includes medical records and income documentation. You can have a Plano, TX car accident lawyer help you compile the necessary paperwork and help you estimate how much your PIP claim might be worth.
What Happens if Your Insurance Company Denies Your Personal Injury Protection Claim?
Sometimes, insurance companies will deny or only partially accept a personal injury protection claim. They may base their rejection on suspicions of fraud or reason that the claim falls outside the parameters of the coverage language.
Insurance claims adjusters act in the interest of their company, not the insured party. Their goal is to limit how much they will have to pay out in case of an accident. Therefore, many claims are wrongfully rejected by insurance companies where the insurance claims adjuster believes that the claimant will just give up on their case.
These instances are substantially more common where the claims adjuster knows that the claimant does not have legal representation. For this reason, we strongly recommend you contact a Texas car accident lawyer, no matter where you are in the process. If your claim has already been denied by the insurance company, your lawyer can help you sue your insurance to secure your recovery.
If your lawyer can demonstrate that the insurance company acted in bad faith by denying your claim initially, you could recover compensation for the claims adjuster’s conduct in addition to the compensation you were rightfully owed for your original claim.
In Texas, you only have two years to file a lawsuit against your own insurance company for denying a claim in bad faith. It is in your best interest to contact one of our Dallas car accident attorneys today to get the process started.
Questions About Personal Injury Protection in Texas? We Can Answer Them
The resourceful Houston car accident lawyers at The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. are awaiting your call. To hear more about our services and your potential case, call us today to schedule your appointment. You can reach our offices at (817) 476-1797.