Updated July 2026
What Is Personal Injury Protection Insurance?
Personal Injury Protection covers your medical expenses, lost income, and funeral costs after a car accident, no matter who was at fault. It pays out immediately without waiting for liability determination or the other driver's insurance. In Pennsylvania, PIP is offered by default but you can reject it in writing. If you keep it, you accept a limited tort option that restricts your ability to sue for non-economic damages unless you suffer serious injury.
- You have a herniated disc requiring surgery. Your medical bills reach $18,000 and you miss six weeks of work. Your PIP policy pays the first $5,000 of medical expenses immediately. Because you chose limited tort when you accepted PIP, you can only sue the at-fault driver for additional medical costs and lost wages—not pain and suffering—unless your injury qualifies as serious under Pennsylvania law. If you had rejected PIP and chosen full tort, you could sue for all damages including non-economic losses.
- You lose control and hit a guardrail. You suffer a concussion and whiplash with $4,200 in emergency room and follow-up costs. Your PIP coverage pays the full amount within days, regardless of fault. Because this is a single-vehicle crash with no other party to sue, PIP provides the only immediate medical payment. Your collision coverage handles the vehicle damage separately.
- Your friend is riding with you when another driver runs a red light and T-bones your car. Your friend has $9,000 in medical bills. If your friend has their own PIP coverage, that policy pays first. If not, your PIP coverage can extend to passengers up to your policy limit. Your friend's ability to sue the at-fault driver depends on whether they chose limited or full tort on their own policy.
Who Needs Personal Injury Protection Insurance?
PIP makes sense if you don't have health insurance or carry a high-deductible health plan, because it pays medical bills immediately without a deductible or waiting period. It's also valuable if you're self-employed or lack short-term disability coverage, since PIP replaces lost income during recovery. Drivers who want predictable out-of-pocket costs after an accident and are willing to give up pain-and-suffering lawsuit rights in exchange for lower premiums should consider limited tort with PIP.
Compare your health insurance deductible to the cost of PIP. If your health plan has a $3,000 deductible and PIP costs $15 per month, PIP pays for itself if you're in one accident every 16 years. If you have strong health coverage and want to preserve lawsuit rights, reject PIP and choose full tort. If you want immediate medical payment and lower premiums matter more than lawsuit flexibility, accept PIP with limited tort.
How Much Does Personal Injury Protection Insurance Cost?
PIP typically adds $8 to $25 per month to a Pennsylvania auto insurance policy, or approximately $96 to $300 annually, depending on coverage limits and whether you select limited or full tort.
- Coverage limit selected—Pennsylvania offers $5,000 minimum, with higher limits available at $10,000, $25,000, or $50,000
- Tort option chosen—limited tort (lower premium, restricted lawsuit rights) versus full tort (higher premium, unrestricted lawsuit rights)
- Household size and number of drivers—more people covered under the policy increase the statistical likelihood of a claim
- Your county and ZIP code—urban areas with higher accident rates see higher PIP premiums than rural counties
- Claims history—prior PIP claims or at-fault accidents increase your rate at renewal