Florida Insurance

What PIP Covers in Florida (And What It Doesn’t)

Florida requires $10,000 of PIP, but it only pays 80% of your medical bills, has a 14-day deadline, and won't touch the other driver. Here's what PIP really covers, what it doesn't, and the gaps that catch people.

Eddie Ezekiel

Published Dec 5, 2025 · 3 min read

Updated Jun 16, 2026

What PIP Covers in Florida (And What It Doesn’t)

Image credit: Image by Claim Accident Services from Pixabay

You get rear-ended on I-95. Before anyone argues about whose fault it was, Florida has already decided who pays your first medical bills: your own insurance company. That's the whole idea behind Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, and every driver who registers a car in Florida is required to carry it. Here's exactly what it does, what it quietly doesn't, and the two rules that catch people off guard.

What PIP actually covers

PIP is the core of Florida's no-fault system: after a crash you file with your own insurer first, regardless of who's to blame. It pays three things, all capped at your $10,000 limit:

What PIP pays	How much	The catch
Medical bills	80%	Reasonable, necessary care. You cover the other 20%.
Lost wages	60%	If your injuries keep you from working.
Death benefit	$5,000	Funeral and burial, on top of the medical limit.

Florida PIP benefits, per the state's no-fault law (Fla. Stat. §627.736).

What PIP doesn't cover

This is where the $10,000 stops feeling like much. PIP leaves out:

The other person's injuries when you're at fault. That's Bodily Injury Liability (BIL), which Florida doesn't require for most drivers, though you probably should carry it.
Any vehicle or property damage. That's Property Damage Liability (PDL), which Florida does require at $10,000 alongside PIP.
Pain, suffering, and other non-economic damages. Those come from a separate injury claim, not PIP.
The remaining 20% of your medical bills, plus anything above $10,000. A serious ER visit can blow through that in a day.

Who's actually covered

Because it's no-fault, your PIP follows people, not just the car:

You, whether you're driving, riding in someone else's car, or on foot.
Relatives who live in your household, even in a different vehicle.
Passengers in your car who don't have their own PIP coverage.
You as a pedestrian or cyclist if a car hits you.

Frequently asked questions

Does PIP cover my passengers?

Usually yes. Passengers in your car who don't have their own PIP are typically covered by your policy. Passengers who have their own PIP claim through theirs first.

Do I still need PIP if I have health insurance?

Yes. PIP is legally required to register a car in Florida, it pays regardless of fault, and it covers things health plans often won't, like a share of lost wages. Many health plans also expect PIP to pay first.

Is the $10,000 per accident or per person?

Per person, per accident. Each covered person has their own $10,000 PIP limit.

What happens if my bills go over $10,000?

PIP stops at $10,000. Past that you'd lean on MedPay, your health insurance, or, if someone else was at fault, a claim against their Bodily Injury Liability coverage.

The bottom line

PIP is a floor, not a safety net. It gets your own medical bills moving fast after a crash without a fault fight, but 80% of $10,000 disappears quickly, and it does nothing for the other driver, your car, or your pain and suffering. If you want real protection, treat PIP as the starting point and look at MedPay, uninsured-motorist, and bodily-injury coverage on top. You can confirm Florida's current requirements at FLHSMV, and check your own policy or a licensed agent for what actually applies to you.

Last reviewed: Jun 16, 2026

Sources & references

About the author

Eddie Ezekiel

Tech enthusiast who has been helping digitize insurance information. From insurance websites to information drives and sales pitch engineering, I've been around the insurance space for the last 7 years in some capacity.