Personal Injury Lawyer

Most people imagine two or more cars when they think of a car accident, but what happens if one of the vehicles is a bicycle? If you are injured while riding a bicycle and cannot return to work, you may worry about medical bills and providing for yourself or your family. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Medical Payment insurance (MedPay) could be the answer.

What Is PIP?

PIP insurance applies in no-fault scenarios and covers policyholders’ medical bills, lost wages, or funeral costs due to accidents involving automobiles — even while they are riding a bicycle. This coverage falls under an existing auto insurance policy, which covers vehicle drivers and their passengers.

PIP auto insurance does not pay for pain and suffering; however, it does cover the following services whether the injured policyholder was driving a car or riding a bicycle:

• Childcare if the injured person typically does it
• House cleaning if the injured person typically does it
• Survivor’s benefits after fatal injuries

PIP is mandatory in no-fault states, where it prevents a bottleneck in the court system. Damages are not contingent upon the outcome of a lawsuit, and it allows injured parties to get immediate funds to pay their expenses. No-fault states have varying thresholds beyond which a person can still sue for damages that exceed PIP benefits.

What Is MedPay?

In most states, MedPay is an optional coverage added to standard auto insurance. It covers only medical expenses primarily for policyholders injured in their vehicles, as passengers in other vehicles, while riding a bicycle, walking, or using public transportation such as a bus. This also covers the medical expenses of pedestrians injured in a bicycle or car accident involving the policyholder.

Is PIP or MedPay Better for Covering Bicycle Accidents?

Unless your state has specific requirements for mandatory coverage through either PIP or MedPay, you may wonder which one to choose. PIP covers non-medical expenses, but MedPay does not; however, MedPay can be especially useful if you do not have health insurance or if its deductible is very high. MedPay can cover health insurance deductibles and costs that exceed a PIP policy limit.

Determining your PIP coverage threshold first can help you decide if MedPay is also necessary, especially if you already have health insurance coverage. Still, MedPay might make sense if you ride a bicycle in an area with significant traffic.

If you’ve been involved in a bicycle accident, contact a lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer from Darrell Castle and Associates, PLLC, to discuss the next steps.

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