Florida May Eliminate Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Benefits for Auto Accident Victims

Massachusetts personal injury protection (PIP) provides that regardless of who was at fault, those injured in a Massachusetts motor vehicle accident are entitled to have a portion of their medical expenses and lost wages paid.  It is the insurance industry that pays these bills, and they have been trying to push legislation which would eliminate their obligation to pay PIP benefits to accident victims.

This is exactly what is happening right now in Florida.  PIP benefits may be coming to end in Florida due to aggressive lobbying on the part of the insurance industry.  Here is a post provided by The Injury Blog on this very topic:

Florida Governor Jeb Bush has indicated that he may veto the bill passed by the legislature to extend Florida's no-fault automobile insurance personal injury protections.

Florida law currently provides for no-fault personal injury protection, which benefits personal injury victims by getting medical bills and other related expenses paid without necessity of a determination of fault in an automobile accident.

The law is set to "sunset" in October, 2007 if lawmakers don't take action to extend it. But insurance companies have been lobbying hard to persuade lawmakers to let the provisions die. The legislature passed a bill extending the statute for an additional two years to allow opposing forces to hammer out a compromise, but Bush says that he may veto the bill, which would mean that Florida residents would lose their no fault protection next year unless a resolution is reached before then.

Tags: Massachusetts motor vehicle accident and Personal injury protection