If you’re a driver in Massachusetts, there are four types of compulsory coverage, or mandatory car insurance requirements, vehicle owners must meet to legally operate a motor vehicle.
One of those four required coverages is Personal Injury Protection, or PIP. Often called No-Fault coverage, PIP is designed to keep car insurance rates reasonable while simultaneously reducing car insurance court cases.Regardless of who is at fault for an accident, PIP is the first medical coverage used for accident-related injuries.
What Does PIP Cover?
PIP provides up to $8,000 of coverage for the driver and occupants of the vehicle involved in the accident, as well as injured pedestrians. PIP typically covers three types of benefits up to the $8,000 limit including medical expenses, lost wages and replacement services.
Types of medical expenses include surgical, X-ray and dental services incurred as a result of the accident. PIP can also cover ambulance, hospital, professional nursing and funeral services resulting from the accident.
PIP will cover up to 75% of the injured party’s average weekly gross wage or equivalent for the year immediately before the accident.
Replacement services are also typically covered by PIP in Massachusetts. This means any necessary services that the injured party would have performed without pay for the benefit of the household could be covered through reimbursement. Examples of this include house cleaning, child care, lawn services, etc.
Submitting a PIP Claim
The first step to submitting a PIP claim is to complete and return the PIP application as soon as possible. When you file a claim with MAPFRE, your claims representative will walk you through this process and share any necessary paperwork with you to fill out.
With MAPFRE, we will request necessary records to support accident-related medical expenses you incur. MAPFRE will also confirm salary and time missed from employment, when applicable.
Next Steps
Once medical records and bills from your physician or medical facility have been submitted, they will be reviewed for payment upon receipt.
Any payment for lost wages will be processed upon confirmation from your employer and a disability statement from your doctor.
To make sure you have the right auto insurance coverage amounts, talk with an independent agent in your state. To determine if you could save on your Massachusetts car insurance, get a free online quote today!
