You are likely familiar with the term “personal injury.” Maybe you saw it on a highway billboard or read a story online about a nationwide class-action lawsuit. Most people associate personal injury cases with vehicle accidents or product liability, but there are actually many different types of personal injuries. They can be related to everything from slip-and-fall accidents to dog bites to medical malpractice, workplace accidents, and more. That’s why many people sign up for personal injury insurance to protect themselves.
Which might leave you with some questions: What is personal injury insurance? Does it cover all types of personal injuries? Is it the same thing as liability insurance or personal injury protection (PIP)?
Personal injury insurance is insurance coverage that helps you pay for certain expenses if you are injured in an accident, protecting you from paying for related expenses out-of-pocket. Below, you’ll find more information about what types of expenses personal injury insurance covers, common situations where it applies, and how it’s different from other types of insurance.
What Types of Expenses Does Personal Injury Insurance Cover?
Sometimes called personal accident insurance, personal injury insurance is a form of supplemental insurance that helps you pay for expenses you might incur if you’re the victim of an accident.
Although coverage varies by policy, personal injury insurance commonly covers costs like:
Medical expenses, such as hospital stays, surgeries, emergency room visits, ambulance services, prescriptions, x-rays, doctor visits, rehabilitation, and therapy
Lost wages or income while you are recovering and are unable to work
Cost-of-living expenses during recovery, such as childcare, transportation assistance, home care, and so on
Ongoing care, such as physical therapy or rehabilitation for long-term injuries
Pain and suffering compensation for emotional distress, although this type of compensation usually requires a specific claim process or personal injury lawsuit
Legal expenses if your injury results in a legal claim against another party
Even if other insurance policies, such as medical insurance or workers’ compensation insurance, cover some of these same costs, you might still have additional benefits available to you from personal injury insurance.
In many cases, personal injury insurance applies whether you are injured as a driver, a passenger, a pedestrian, at work, at home, or on someone else’s property. This supplemental coverage helps injured individuals avoid taking on large amounts of debt or draining personal savings, especially for serious injuries that require ongoing care.
What Are Some Common Situations Where Personal Injury Insurance Applies?
Personal injury insurance coverage often applies when you experience physical or emotional pain or injury due to:
Vehicular accidents—including cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians
Slip-and-fall accidents—usually at a place of business
Dog bites
Malpractice—including medical, dental, professional, and legal
Work-related injuries—although you might also have workers’ compensation insurance privately or through your employer
How Is Personal Injury Insurance Different from Other Insurance?
Although similar to other types of supplemental insurance, personal injury insurance also has some important differences.
Liability Insurance
When you have any type of liability insurance, it helps you pay for another person’s expenses if you injure them. Many businesses and employers carry liability insurance to protect themselves and their employees in case their actions, services, or products end up harming customers or other employees in some way.
Most health professionals carry medical professional liability insurance, otherwise known as medical malpractice insurance. This protects them against claims of negligence or errors that result in injury to their patients, including surgical and treatment errors and misdiagnoses.
One of the most common types of liability insurance is the auto liability coverage you get with your car insurance that helps you pay for property damages (the other party’s, not yours) and expenses related to bodily injury to another person in an accident when you are at fault. Most states require you to have minimum levels of auto liability coverage before you can register and drive your vehicle legally.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Personal injury protection is a specific type of personal injury insurance that is associated with car insurance policies. Some states require drivers to maintain a minimum amount of PIP coverage, especially if they are a no-fault state.
Coverage varies by state, but PIP usually pays for your medical expenses and sometimes also compensation for lost wages, household services like childcare while you are unable to work, rehabilitation, and death benefits, no matter who was at fault for the vehicular accident.
Health Insurance
Generally, health insurance coverage extends to general medical care and might also address some rehabilitation and long-term care costs. However, health insurance does not cover lost wages or pain and suffering the way that personal injury insurance might. A separate personal injury insurance policy can supplement health insurance by covering gaps in coverage.
What Should You Do If You Suffer a Personal Injury?
Now that we’ve answered the question, “What is personal injury insurance?” your next question might be, “What should I do if I suffer a personal injury?”
If you are injured due to another person’s actions or negligence, it can be helpful to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer, such as those at Warren Allen in Oregon. They can help you communicate and negotiate with insurance companies (both yours and the other party’s) to help you receive fair financial compensation for the incident.
In many cases, insurance companies will offer you less than you’re entitled to, especially in their initial offer, and it can be stressful to try to get appropriate compensation on your own, especially if you are also recovering from injuries and unable to work.
Working toward your goal of fair financial compensation might eventually lead to filing a personal injury case in court if you cannot work out a settlement with insurance. A personal injury lawyer can help you gather evidence, negotiate your case, and represent you in court.
Accidents are a part of life and can happen to anyone, but you don’t have to face them alone. It’s a good idea to research your options for personal injury insurance and personal injury lawyers before you actually need them.
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