What is No-Fault Insurance?
Do you know that the process of getting compensation after a car accident varies from location to location?
Let’s say for example:
You go on about your day per usual one fine Spring Day. The minute you squeeze yourself into the car, you realize that Daylight Time Savings has taken into effect and that clocks have sprung forward an hour. Your heart begins pounding profusely on your chest. It’s currently 9:30 in the morning, and your breakfast engagement with an important client started at 9 AM.
Worse, traffic is at an all-time high as people are also traveling to their respective workplaces, making the trek to the meet-up location an hour-long endeavor, two times longer than if you had left your house an hour before as anticipated.
In an attempt to catch up, you start speeding, recklessly driving past stop signs while calling your employers to explain the situation. They don’t take it well. They tell you to call the client and apologize. The threat of expulsion looms in your head, and you hope that they take your apology. If not, you, as your boss said, will “be dealt with.”
But in the middle of stressing about your work troubles, you start shoving road safety on the back-burner. Before you know it, you’re running into a red light in an intersection. Then boom! You collide with another vehicle.
Fortunately, no one is severely injured and the dents of the cars are repairable. Depending on what state you live in, the process of getting compensation differs for an accident like this.
This is partly due to the presence and/or absence of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Coverage in different states.
Which states require PIP?
Personal Injury Protection Coverage, more commonly known as “no-fault insurance,” ensures that you’re compensated for the accident you’re involved in regardless of who’s at fault. Even if you are the one driving irresponsibly, you can still get compensated for your injury.
You would simply have to file a claim with your insurance provider and they’re going to compensate you for the accident as long as it’s within your policy limits. They could even compensate the other party too even if they don’t have insurance.
But this only applies to the states who do require and/or offer Personal Injury Protection Coverage.
Only a few states —15 to be exact — require them, among them are Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah.
There are also some states who don’t require no-fault insurance but allow car owners to avail them. One of those states is Texas. The rest are as follows:
- Arkansas
- District of Columbia
- New Hampshire
- South Dakota
- Virginia
- Washington
Can California drivers get no-fault insurance?
No. California drivers don’t have the option to avail Personal Injury Protection Coverage. California is an at-fault state, meaning that the insurance of the one responsible for the accident has to pay for the costs.
But drivers in the state are offered an alternative to Personal Injury Protection Coverage. Instead of no-fault insurance, California drivers are able to get MedPay, which aids in paying for the hospital bills come time they get into car accidents. The only downside is that it doesn’t cover for them as much as a no-fault insurance would.
However, they have the option to seek additional compensation by suing the other party’s insurance company. Insurance companies are notorious for penny-picking when it comes to paying up. When that happens, they need to hire an attorney to help them acquire the maximum amount of car accident compensation.
Can Texas drivers get no-fault insurance?
Yes. Unlike California drivers, Texans are able to avail no-fault insurance even though the state does not require its drivers to get it. The process of getting compensation for Texas drivers will naturally differ from those living in California due to this simple fact.
On the other hand, since not everyone has Personal Injury Protection Coverage, this may complicate the process for getting compensation even more especially if you aren’t consulting with a personal injury attorney.
That’s why it is best to call up an attorney when you get involved in an accident because they know the ins and outs of the law and can help you obtain the maximum amount of compensation.
Call Omega Law Group
Whether you’re afflicted with serious injuries such as Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, Soft Tissue Injury, or even some minor cuts, Omega Law Group has dealt with various personal injuries and will be the best law firm to consult with for your case.
Our client testimonials as well as the awards our firm has accumulated is a testament to this. Above all, Omega Law Group prides itself on our one-on-one approach with our clients. They will handle your case with a level of care unparalleled by other personal injury law firms. Visit our Contact Us page now to schedule a free consultation.