Personal Injury Protection — Pennsylvania
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) pays your medical bills and lost wages after an accident, regardless of who caused it.
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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.
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 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?
- 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
