Florida Lawyers Challenge PIP Car Insurance Law
Lawyers in South Florida have requested that a judge declare the 2012 changes made to Florida’s car insurance system as unconstitutional. This is the latest in controversy over the law that reduces Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits down to $2,500. The changes kept the $10,000 coverage for emergency care, but reduced nonemergency benefits down to $2,500 and banned massage and acupuncture.
The attorneys argue that slashing PIP benefits from $10,000 down to $2,500 has made it so that the entire premise of the PIP system, which is that drivers relinquish access to courts in order to get medical bills paid quickly regardless of who is at fault, is no longer intact. The exchange on which the constitutionality of the statue was based on no longer exists. On the other hand, a group which represents car insurers claims that the reforms help curb fraud and that PIP rates are on the decline.
Florida is one of the US states with a no-fault system, which means that regardless of the amount of health insurance they may already have, drivers still have to buy $10,000 of PIP insurance in order to cover injuries. It’s important to understand when you’re covered and when you’re not when it comes to car insurance, so call the experts at Avante today at 305-648-7070 or visit us online if you have questions about PIP insurance and your current policies.