Personal injury protection (PIP) is a type of automobile insurance coverage that can help a victim pay for expenses after a crash. It is a first-party form of insurance that is available regardless of who is at fault for an accident. Since Nevada is a fault state, PIP is an optional – not mandatory – type of coverage. However, purchasing PIP insurance can come with various benefits.
What Is Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance?
Personal injury protection pays for a policyholder’s medical expenses and lost wages after a Las Vegas car accident lawyer. It can also cover these costs for passengers who were riding in the vehicle. PIP pays for covered losses regardless of who is at fault. For this reason, it is also known as no-fault insurance.
What Does PIP Cover?
PIP insurance on a policy in Nevada pays for the price of a policyholder’s hospital bills and other health care costs after a car accident. This can include surgeries, hospital stays, medications, rehabilitation, and therapies.
Personal injury protection can cover the following losses:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Funeral and burial costs
- Essential services, such as childcare
- Survivors’ losses for a deceased policyholder
The purpose of PIP coverage is to allow a policyholder to recover the costs of a car accident without having to prove that someone else is at fault or rely on another driver’s auto insurance policy to pay.
Is PIP Insurance Required in Nevada?
No, PIP insurance is not a legal requirement in Nevada. The mandatory types of insurance under state law are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage, plus $20,000 in property damage insurance. If Nevada were a no-fault state, personal injury protection insurance would be legally required, as all drivers in these states seek coverage from their own car insurance providers, no matter who caused the crash.
The Benefits of Purchasing Personal Injury Protection Insurance
Personal injury protection insurance allows a car accident victim to receive financial compensation for his or her losses after a crash without having to prove that someone else is at fault. The driver can file a claim with his or her own insurance coverage and benefit from fast access to funds. The victim does not have to wait for an insurance investigation or fault to be determined.
How to File a PIP Claim After a Car Accident in Nevada
If you get injured in a car accident in Nevada and have PIP coverage on your policy, contact your own insurance company to report the wreck and file a claim. Inform your insurer immediately, as most have strict claims-filing deadlines. Follow the carrier’s instructions for how to file a claim and submit proof of your losses, such as copies of medical bills and photographs of injuries.
Get medical care for your injuries without delay. Visit a doctor, explain what happened, keep up with your treatment plan, and obtain copies of your medical records to submit with your PIP claim. You may also need to send in an accident report and other documents. If your insurer accepts your claim, you will receive a settlement offer within the limits of your PIP policy.
Unfortunately, even with personal injury protection insurance, an insurance company may try to avoid paying you fairly or a crash. If you run into challenges while trying to obtain just financial compensation from your PIP policy in Nevada, contact a Las Vegas personal injury attorney at Valiente Mott for a free consultation with a car accident lawyer about your options.