If you have been in a car accident in Florida, you will receive many forms from the insurance companies. You will get these forms regardless of who caused the accident because Florida is a no-fault state.

If you have been in a car accident and have been injured as a result of someone else’s conduct, you may need a lawyer. If you read this article and wish to talk to us for a free consultation, please contact us. If you have a lawyer already and they are not answering your questions or helping, we are also happy to speak to you. We help our clients after the accident and this article is an example of how we do it.

What is a PIP Application?

Personal Injury Protection (“PIP”) coverage is a layer of insurance coverage required by Florida law. The minimum amount of PIP coverage required in Florida is $10,000.00. PIP pays for medical bills, lost wages and other out of pocket expenses after an accident.

A PIP application is a questionnaire sent by an auto insurance company to verify eligibility for coverage. This application will ask you a series of questions about yourself and your accident to confirm that a specific insurance carrier is in fact the correct layer of coverage to afford PIP.

You may or may not have a deductible for your PIP coverage-it just depends on what you bought. Since everyone in Florida is required to have and use PIP coverage, there may be multiple places you potentially receive these funds from. If you are a passenger in a vehicle and do not have any auto insurance coverage of your own, you may be afforded PIP coverage through a resident relative’s automobile insurance or the insurance for the vehicle you were traveling in at the time of the accident.

If you did not have any car insurance of your own, you may receive a PIP application from the vehicle you were traveling in or even a resident relative’s insurance carrier. If you were a pedestrian with no car insurance of your own, you may receive a PIP application from the at-fault party’s insurance.

A PIP application is a 2-3 page questionnaire that will ask for things such as your name, residential address, location of the accident, description of the accident, if you were injured, what your injuries are, where you have received medical treatment, who your employer is, if you own any vehicles, who lives in your household, if anyone in your household owns a vehicle, etc.

Other Forms Included with the PIP Application

Wage and Salary Verification Form

If you are employed at the time of your automobile accident, lose time from work as a result of injuries you sustained in your automobile accident, and have a note from a medical professional stating you are unable to work as a result of said injuries, you are eligible to receive reimbursement for lost wages through your PIP carrier.

A wage and salary verification form is a questionnaire the PIP carrier will want completed by your employer before they compensate you for lost wages. This form outlines the days and times you missed from work, as well as, how much you make and how long you’ve been employed for. It will also need to be dated and signed by a supervisor/manager.

While we understand being reimbursed for your lost wages is a priority, we want you to remember that it might not always be the best option for your claim. PIP only reimburses lost wages at 60% and because we’re drawing the lost wage funds from the $10,000.00 pot, that means there will be less available for your medical providers. Compare this to your accident case- we can recover 100% of your wages in that claim. This is why we do not recommend that you run your lost wages through PIP.

Mileage Reimbursement Form

Traveling to and from your doctor’s appointments multiple times a week for several months can get expensive. The mileage reimbursement form is in place to help compensate you for this added expense. This form will require you to list the exact location and the exact days you traveled. The insurance company will cross reference these days with your PIP log (an outline of your appointment days) to make sure the dates you listed are accurate. This form will also ask for the specifics of how many miles you traveled to and from and will partially reimburse you for the price of gas.

Again, remember this reimbursement will not be 100% of the price you paid for gas and will draw from the available $10,000.00 in PIP coverage used for your medical bills.

Health Insurance Claim Form

If you have health insurance that makes payments towards any medical bills associated with treatment you received as a result of an automobile accident, your health insurance carrier has a right of recovery. This means that your health insurance is paying out for benefits to no fault of your own and they are allowed to be compensated by the individual who caused the accident. Many times, your health insurance will put a lien on your automobile accident case in order to secure payment.

A health insurance claim form will break down each medical provider you sought treatment from and how much they bill your health insurance for each appointment after PIP has paid. This form will also ask for who your health insurance carriers are and how long you have been on each plan.

HIPPA Authorization

In order for insurance companies to gain access to your medical records, they need to have a signed HIPPA Authorization. This authorization could be limited to a certain type of record or a certain provider but we always recommend never completing this form. We strongly recommend obtaining all of your own medical documentation and thoroughly reviewing them before sending anything to an insurance company.

What Forms Should You Fill Out if You Have a Lawyer?

If you’ve hired a lawyer for your accident claim, they should instruct you to not complete any forms you receive directly. Your lawyer should explain each form to you, complete the necessary ones on your behalf, and provide them to you for signature. Once completed, your lawyer will forward them back to the insurance company accordingly.

We help our clients with all of these forms and if your lawyer is not helping you, you need a new lawyer. Filling out these forms is part of the legal service that you are paying for, so use it.

How to Fill Out the Forms if You Don’t Have a Lawyer

If you do not have a lawyer, it is very important to review every form you receive. You should only complete forms that are absolutely necessary. Examples –

The PIP application is a requirement and must be completed in order for you to receive the $10,000.00 (or potentially more) in required PIP coverage. We recommend completing this form and sending it back as soon as possible.

We only suggest completing the wage and salary verification form if you are claiming lost wages and wish for them to be reimbursed out of the PIP coverage. Many times, we encourage our clients to use their PIP coverage solely for their medical expenses if their financial state allows.

We only suggest completing the mileage reimbursement form if you want to be reimbursed for your mileage expenses out of the PIP coverage. Again, we strongly suggest using your PIP coverage solely towards your medical bills.

You only need to complete the health insurance claim form if you have health insurance.

We recommend never completing a HIPAA Authorization as it opens the gates for the insurance company to obtain your medical records directly.

Do You Need A Lawyer After a Car Accident?

If you have been injured in a car accident in Florida and are realizing that these forms are complicated, please contact us for a free consultation. We are here to provide guidance.

It is very important that we get involved early on after the accident. We will be able to advise you about whether you need a lawyer or if you are able to handle the claim on your own. We charge on a percentage basis and we normally will always be able to recover more than you will be able to do on your own.