What is personal injury protection?

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage is required by law in Utah. This coverage can also be called “No-fault” insurance. That is because it allows your insurance company to start issuing payments on your behalf before fault is determined in the accident. This is very beneficial if you have not been able to work and thus have lost wages while medical bills are stacking up. If you’ve been in a car accident there are some very important things to be aware of regarding PIP coverage. It is important to realize that your car insurance will not automatically start paying medical bills or sending you money. You need to make sure that your insurance is aware of the car accident. Immediately following the car accident, you must call your car insurance company and report the accident. The insurance company will then start processing your claim. They will assign an insurance adjuster (also known as the PIP adjuster) that will handle your case. It is very important that you write down the claim number and your insurance adjuster’s contact information. You (or your lawyer) will be working directly with this adjuster to get the coverage you are due.

Filling out the application

One of the first things your PIP adjuster will ask you to do is fill out a PIP application. This can be a bit overwhelming at first as there is a lot of information that they will ask you to provide. The following Q & A can help you navigate your PIP application.

Q: What is a PIP application and why is it needed?

A: This form allows your insurance company to decide if you are eligible for certain benefits under Utah law. It also enables the insurance company to start processing your PIP coverage and start paying medical bills and lost wages.

Q: I already told my insurance adjuster a lot of this information and the application already appears to have some of my information on it. Do I really need to fill it out?

A: Yes, the insurance adjuster needs this form returned before they can start processing your claim.

Q: Can I fill out the form by hand or does it need to by type-written?

A: You can fill out the form in whichever way is most convenient for you.

Q: I don’t know the answers to all the questions on the form. What should I do?

A: It is important to note that although answering all the questions is helpful to the insurance company, it is not necessary. Just fill in the information that you do know and feel free to leave any spaces blank if you are unsure or do not know.

Q: I don’t feel comfortable putting my Social Security number on the application. Do I need to?

A: No, you do not need to include your Social Security number. Although it is recommended that you try to include the last four digits of your Social Security number, as this makes it easier for the insurance company to look up and link your claim and medical bills.

Q: Where can I find the date, time and location of the accident?

A: This information will be on the police report or the driver exchange form that you received following the accident. You can always request this information from the police department in the city where the accident occurred if you do not have it. But as stated before, if you do not have this information you do not need to write anything. It is okay to leave blank spaces if you do not have the information they are asking for.

Q: How much detail do I need to include about the accident?

A: This description of the accident is not as important as it seems. Keep it simple and direct. For example, “I was turning left and was hit by a car going the other way”.

Q: There is a section that says, “Describe your injury”. How much information do I need to give?

A: Once again, this section does not need to be very detailed. Just listing the body parts that were affected is sufficient. For example, “Neck, Back and Arm Injuries” is an adequate description of injuries.

Q: What if I don’t know the amount of my medical bills?

A: That is just fine. You can simply leave this section blank or you can put “to be determined” (TBD).

Q: Do I need to put my employer’s name and address? Or list my salary information?

A: No, you do not have to list this information, especially if you are not claiming lost wages from the car accident. Even if you are, you can leave this section blank and provide the insurance adjuster this information later.

Hopefully the above questions and answers have helped you complete your personal injury protection (PIP) application. Although this form does need to be filled out, it is not necessary to over-think the answers or to stress about not having all the information. Your insurance company is still going provide PIP coverage regardless of the level of your proficiency in filling out the PIP application. As part of our services to all our clients, we will assist you in completing the PIP application and in making a claim against the at-fault driver. Call us today. 801-738-9999!