What Is PIP and PDL Insurance?
Brian O Sutter
Insurance Laws
If you are planning to get your own car in Florida, be aware that the state requires you to have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance. Florida is a no-fault state and having PIP and PDL ensures that you are given medical attention immediately and helps you with damage costs following a car accident. Car sellers would ask for your PIP and PDL before finalizing the purchase. This shows how important having a PIP and PDL is.To make things clearer, here’s what you need to know about PIP and PDL.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) - PIP coverage is mostly focused on the well-being of a person who is involved in a car accident. Regardless of who is found liable for the accident, the victims are aided immediately with their injuries and wounds. More importantly, there is no need to wait for any court settlements, insurance claim approvals, or to identify the person at fault before you are given medical attention.
PIP also covers lost wages as a result of being hospitalized and inability to work, as well as death benefits.
Property Damage Liability (PDL) - PDL is an important component in your car insurance coverage. While PIP insurance takes care of the people who are harmed in a car accident, the PDL covers the damages inflicted on someone else’s property. For car accidents, your PDL will be the one responsible for any damages that have been inflicted on the other person’s car.
PDL is also not limited to car damages only. Car accidents like collisions can also involve other property damages like posts, fences, gates, and other objects that could get hit on the road or the side of the street. It can cover replacements and repairs, depending on the gravity of the damage and the plans that the person availed.
How Much Does PIP And PDL Cover?
Vehicle owners in Florida are required to have a minimum of $10,000 coverage for their PIP and PDL. However, there is a slight difference in the maximum limit between the two. For PIP, $10,000 is both the minimum and maximum amount of coverage. On the other hand, the amount can exceed and reach up to hundreds and thousands of dollars for PDLs depending on the severity of the damage you have caused to someone else’s property.
What Kind Of Damages Does PDL Cover?
The result of a car crash is very unpredictable. The at-fault driver’s PDL may have to cover car repairs for nicks and dents, machine repairs, personal damages for personal properties that were damaged inside the vehicle because of the accident, and even towing costs.
As a responsible driver, you should have PIP and PDL insurance. Still, complications may arise in the process such as at-fault drivers having no auto insurance policy or PIPs. Having no insurance coverage can lead to more trouble and can land you in tedious processes, which is why it is better to have yourself covered. When faced with other issues, having an auto accident lawyer by your side can help you with your case.