How Does Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Work After a Maryland Traffic Collision?
Personal Injury Protection, which is known as “no-fault” coverage, can be a great benefit to victims of Maryland car and truck accidents. This is because PIP coverage essentially allows injured car accident victims to recover monetarily to pay for medical bills and other accident-related costs, not just once but twice. In other words, PIP coverage will help pay for doctor bills, rehabilitation costs as well as lost wages from both your auto insurance carrier as well as the at-fault party’s insurance company.
This can be a godsend for many victims of automobile accidents, but there is an important point to keep in mind: The deadline to file your PIP claim is 12 months from the date of the accident. Based on Maryland law (Insurance Code Section 19-508), insurers are allowed to set a one-year statute of limitations in which a policyholder can file a no-fault claim. If a PIP claim is submitted after this 12-month window has closed — even by an attorney acting on his client’s behalf — the claim for benefits may likely be denied.
Most drivers in Maryland are probably unaware of the fact that you can get more out of their PIP claim than insurance companies would have their policyholders believe. Because PIP coverage is actually no-fault insurance, the benefits provided can be used to cover your accident-related out-of-pocket losses regardless of who caused the accident. Maryland’s highest court has already weighed in on PIP benefits, stating that this kind of coverage assures “financial compensation to victims of motor vehicle accidents without regard to the fault of the named insured.”
If you have been seriously hurt in Maryland traffic accident, we highly recommend that you speak with a qualified legal expert to better understand your options going forward. The legal team at Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC, has the experience and litigation skills to help you recover the maximum monetary damages available under Maryland law. Feel free to give our law offices a call to arrange your free, no-obligation initial consultation.