PIP is similar and often times interchanged with the term Medpay. Usually this is the name given to a portion of your insurance available to pay for medical expenses and lost wages. If you have a MD or VA policy you can almost always use your PIP or Medpay and also collect under the insurance policy of the at fault accident under their bodily injury limits of their automobile Insurance. You can use this coverage when you are a pedestrian or a passenger in someone else’s vehicle.
Waiver of PIP/Medpay
Sometimes in order to have a cheaper rate individuals are given the opportunity to waive PIP. This is never advisable as PIP/Medpay is an insurance you can use outside of your bodily injury limits portion and you never have to reimburse it and you can use this often times regardless of who is at fault for the accident.
Danger of Waiving PIP/Medpay
By choosing to waive PIP/Medpay under your own insurance you make yourself ineligible of receiving PIP/Medpay benefits even in an accident that you would not think involves your own insurance. If you waived PIP/Medpay and you are in a pedestrian accident, you will not have access to your PIP or Medpay. If you waived PIP/Medpay and are involved in an accident in someone else’s vehicle in which you are a passenger you will not have access to PIP/Medpay because that waiver carries over into other accidents that would normally involve other people’s insurance.
DC PIP nuance
If you are in a Washington, DC auto accident and your insurance policy originated in DC and so did the other person involved in the accident you have to choose whether you will make a PIP claim or whether you will go after the bodily injury claim. Under DC law you have 60 days to make this decision and after 60 days there are very limited exceptions allowing you to change your mind.
Oropeza Law Firm, PLLC will not make you pay anything up front to represent you
For many of these reasons, the last being the most important, it is very important that you speak to a lawyer as early as possible when you are involved in any vehicle, truck, motorcycle or even pedestrian accident. The Oropeza Law Firm, PLLC will not charge you to speak with you and most of the time will represent you without your ever having to come out of pocket. Most personal injury cases charge a contingency fee where the lawyer receives a percentage of what they recover for you. Meaning the lawyer gets paid if and only if they can recover something on your behalf.
If you or someone you know has been injured please call the Oropeza Law Firm, PLLC as soon as possible to make sure that you don’t limit your recovery in any way. Call us now at 202-558-6539 to discuss your case!
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