What’s PIP? PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection by your automobile insurance.

I recommend to STOP right here, grab your auto insurance policy documents (if you’re able), and find out if you do indeed have PIP coverage.

Please don’t delay and don’t depend on your memory. A lot of your money could be at stake here. Verify insurance coverage by reading your auto insurance policy.

Believe it or not, most people don’t know if they have PIP until after a car accident – by then it is far too late.

The good news: in Washington State, PIP is automatically included in our auto insurance policies. The bad news: we can choose to opt out of PIP, saving a few bucks (and not much at that). Again, take a look. Did you do opt out of PIP?

Here are nine reasons why PIP is your best friend and car accident protector for as long as you drive a car or ride a bicycle.

• PIP covers all medical treatment related to auto accident injuries until you reach the maximum dollar amount of your PIP coverage. Again, check your policy.

• PIP allows you to see whatever medical provider you want without a medical doctor’s referral or the provider being covered by your health insurance plan, as in medical doctors, chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists, nurse practitioners, dentists, and physical therapists.

• PIP allows you to see whatever type of medical provider you’d like for as long as necessary, provided of course the care is directly related to injuries caused by the car crash and justifiable by the practitioner. You won’t have to worry about an 8-visit-per-year limit to the chiropractor that many health insurance policies restrict you to.

  (After a car accident, a good personal injury attorney is your other best friend to help you sort through all of the details of your medical care and proper compensation to you and your doctors.)

• PIP pays for lost wages. Huge red flag here: lost wages. If you have lost wages due to an injury caused by a car accident, immediately find yourself an excellent, caring, trial-tested personal injury attorney. You need one now so you don’t lose out on getting the compensation you deserve.

• PIP pays for household help.

• PIP covers you and your injuries caused by the car accident regardless of fault.

• PIP coverage is pretty cheap for all you get — it won’t add much to your monthly premiums.

• If you’re not at fault for the car accident, your insurance company can’t lawfully raise your PIP premiums if you choose to use it. Really! (Your personal injury lawyer can help you fight that insurance company monster.)

• PIP follows you around on your bicycle and as a pedestrian too! If you get hit by a car while riding your bike or walking, you get all of the above advantages of PIP.

Don’t delay. Find out if you’ve chosen PIP to be your car accident protector. If you have, congratulations to you! If you haven’t, call your auto insurance company now and add it to your policy.

After all, you never know when that car crash may happen to you.

If you have any PIP questions or any questions about your auto insurance policy, we’d be happy to thoroughly go over your coverage with you — for no charge.

If you’ve been involved in a car accident, whether or not you have PIP coverage, call us at 360-406-4995 to see what we can do to help you get the compensation you deserve.