Personal Injury Protection After a Texas Car Accident
Personal Injury Protection may be one of the most valuable parts of your automobile insurance policy after a car accident. However, many Texas drivers don’t know they have this coverage—or understand how it can help—until they’re injured.
Most people think about automobile insurance as something that pays for vehicle damage. However, your policy may also include coverage that helps pay medical expenses and lost wages after an injury.
This coverage is commonly called Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, and understanding it before you need it can make a big difference after an accident.
At White Rock Chiropractic, we’ve helped accident victims throughout Dallas, Richardson, Garland, Mesquite, and surrounding communities for more than 30 years. One of the questions we frequently hear is:
“Will my insurance help pay for my treatment?”
If you have PIP coverage, the answer may be yes.
Injured After A Auto Accident
What Is Personal Injury Protection (PIP)?
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is automobile insurance coverage that may help pay certain expenses resulting from a car accident, regardless of who caused the collision.
Unlike liability insurance, which generally pays for injuries or damages you cause to someone else, PIP coverage is designed to provide benefits for you and certain other covered individuals after an accident.
According to the Texas Department of Insurance, PIP can help pay medical expenses and a portion of lost wages and may provide benefits for certain other nonmedical costs resulting from an accident.
External Authority Link:
Texas Department of Insurance – Automobile Insurance
https://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb020.html
What Does Personal Injury Protection Cover?
Depending on your policy and circumstances, Personal Injury Protection may help with expenses such as:
- Chiropractic treatment
- Medical doctor visits
- Emergency room care
- Diagnostic testing
- Physical therapy
- A portion of lost wages due to an accident-related injury
- Certain essential services you are unable to perform because of your injuries
One important benefit of PIP coverage is that it is not based on determining which driver caused the accident before benefits can be available.
Therefore, an injured person may be able to use PIP benefits for eligible expenses while a liability claim is still being investigated.
Why PIP Coverage Can Be Important After an Accident
Car accident injuries are not always immediately obvious.
In fact, it’s common for someone to leave an accident feeling relatively normal and begin experiencing symptoms hours or even days later.
Common delayed symptoms may include:
- Neck pain
- Whiplash
- Headaches
- Shoulder pain
- Upper back pain
- Lower back pain
- Muscle stiffness
- Numbness or tingling
For this reason, seeking a prompt evaluation after an accident can help identify injuries and establish an appropriate treatment plan.
PIP coverage may also help reduce some of the financial concern associated with seeking treatment after an accident.
Personal Injury Protection and a Little-Known Texas Insurance Rule
Here’s something many Texas drivers don’t know.
Texas automobile insurers generally must offer Personal Injury Protection coverage. A policyholder may choose to reject that coverage, but Texas law requires the rejection to be made in writing.
Therefore, if your insurance company tells you that you do not have PIP coverage, consider asking:
“Can you provide me with a copy of my written PIP rejection?”
This can be an important question.
If you’re unsure whether you have PIP coverage—or you’re told you rejected it but don’t remember doing so—ask the insurance carrier to provide documentation of the rejection.
Whether coverage ultimately applies can depend on the individual policy and insurance records. However, requesting the documentation may help clarify what benefits are available.
“The Accident Wasn’t My Fault, So Why Would I Use PIP?”
This is a common misunderstanding.
Even when another driver caused the collision, the other insurance company’s liability investigation can take time.
Meanwhile, you’re still injured.
Because PIP is designed to provide benefits without determining fault first, it may help with eligible accident-related expenses while the liability claim is being resolved.
“I Have Health Insurance, So I Don’t Need PIP”
Health insurance is certainly important, but it isn’t necessarily a replacement for PIP coverage.
Depending on your health insurance plan, you may have:
- Deductibles
- Copays
- Coinsurance
- Provider restrictions
Additionally, health insurance generally doesn’t replace your lost income because you were unable to work after an automobile accident.
Therefore, Personal Injury Protection can provide an additional layer of financial protection after a collision.
“It Was Only a Minor Car Accident”
Another common mistake is assuming that a minor-looking accident cannot cause an injury.
The forces involved in a collision can affect muscles, ligaments, joints, and other structures even when there is relatively little visible vehicle damage.
Additionally, adrenaline and the stress response following an accident can sometimes make pain less noticeable initially.
That’s one reason symptoms such as neck pain, headaches, stiffness, and back pain may become more noticeable later.
How Much Personal Injury Protection Do Texas Drivers Have?
Texas policies offering PIP must generally provide at least the statutory minimum amount of coverage, and drivers may have the option to purchase higher limits.
Your actual PIP benefits depend on the coverage you selected and the terms of your automobile insurance policy.
Don’t wait until you’re injured to find out what you have.
Take a few minutes to review your automobile policy or contact your insurance agent and ask:
“How much Personal Injury Protection coverage do I currently have?”
You may be surprised by the answer.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident?
If you’ve been involved in an automobile accident:
- Seek medical evaluation promptly if you are injured or experiencing symptoms.
- Document your symptoms and how they change.
- Notify your automobile insurance company of the accident.
- Ask whether your policy includes Personal Injury Protection.
- Ask how much PIP coverage is available.
- If you’re told you rejected PIP coverage, consider requesting documentation of the written rejection.
- Follow your healthcare provider’s treatment recommendations.
Most importantly, don’t ignore symptoms simply because the accident seemed minor.
White Rock Chiropractic Helps Dallas Car Accident Patients
For more than 30 years, Larry Parent, D.C., at White Rock Chiropractic has helped patients recover from injuries caused by automobile accidents.
Whether you’ve been involved in a minor fender-bender or a more serious collision, early evaluation and treatment may help reduce pain, restore function, and support recovery.
We work with patients who already have attorneys as well as patients who do not have attorney representation. If you prefer legal representation and don’t currently have an attorney, we can also provide information for attorneys we’ve worked with over the years.
If you’ve recently been injured in a car accident and are experiencing neck pain, back pain, headaches, stiffness, or other symptoms, call White Rock Chiropractic at (214) 328-2225 to schedule an evaluation.