Understanding Florida’s No Fault Insurance Law

• Nov 29 2018

Florida’s no-fault system provides certain personal injury protection (PIP) benefits without requiring the injured person to establish that another driver caused the crash. It does not eliminate fault-based claims or make every accident loss payable by PIP.

What PIP Covers

Under section 627.736, required PIP coverage generally provides up to $10,000 in combined medical and disability benefits, subject to statutory conditions, exclusions, applicable deductibles, and policy terms. Coverage priorities determine which policy applies to an insured, household member, passenger, or pedestrian.

• Medical expenses: PIP generally pays 80% of covered reasonable, medically necessary expenses. Qualifying initial services and care must be received within 14 days after the crash.
• Emergency medical condition: Access to medical reimbursement up to $10,000 requires a determination by a statutorily authorized provider that an emergency medical condition existed. Medical reimbursement is limited to $2,500 when a listed provider determines that no such condition existed. Provider qualifications and the actual determination matter.
• Disability benefits: PIP generally pays 60% of qualifying lost gross income and earning capacity, together with qualifying replacement household services, within the applicable benefits limit.
• Death benefits: The statute provides $5,000 in addition to the medical and disability benefits.

PIP Is Different From Other Auto Coverage

PIP does not pay to repair a vehicle and does not itself supply a defense attorney when someone sues you. Property-damage liability coverage concerns damage you cause to another person’s property. Bodily-injury liability coverage concerns covered injury claims against you, while collision coverage concerns damage to your own vehicle under its terms. Any insurer duty to defend comes from applicable liability coverage and the policy, not from PIP merely because it pays injury benefits.

Claims Beyond PIP

An injured person may have a claim against a responsible party for legally recoverable losses beyond PIP. Florida’s motor-vehicle injury threshold may limit noneconomic damages in covered cases. Liability, comparative fault, available insurance, exclusions, and deadlines require separate review. PIP does not guarantee payment of every submitted bill or a particular overall recovery.

Legal information updated September 30, 2026.

Posted in: Personal Injury