"sometimes peace of mind is worth more than the math suggests."
Yeah, I'm starting to realize this myself. I used to joke that insurance was like paying for Netflix and never watching anything—just money disappearing each month. But recently, a coworker told me about getting rear-ended at a stoplight. Nothing major, but the medical bills piled up fast, and the other guy's insurance dragged their feet forever. Hearing these stories makes me think maybe PIP isn't just another annoying subscription after all...
I totally get where you're coming from. I've handled a lot of claims, and honestly, the Netflix analogy isn't far off from how most people feel—until something actually happens. A few years back, my sister had a minor accident, nothing dramatic, just a fender-bender at a parking lot. She felt fine at first, but a couple days later, her neck started acting up. Turned out she needed physical therapy, and those bills added up quicker than you'd think. Luckily, she had PIP coverage, and it kicked in right away without waiting for the other driver's insurance to sort things out. It saved her a ton of stress and hassle.
So yeah, while the math might not always seem to add up on paper, having that peace of mind can be priceless when you're dealing with the unexpected. It's one of those things you hope you'll never need, but if you do...you're really glad it's there.
Had a similar experience myself a couple years ago. Was on a road trip through Colorado and got rear-ended at a stoplight—nothing major, just enough to jolt us around a bit. Felt completely fine at first, but by the next morning, my lower back was killing me. Ended up needing a few chiropractor visits and some PT sessions. Like your sister, I had PIP coverage, and it really simplified things. Didn't have to wait around for the other driver's insurance to approve anything or deal with reimbursement hassles later. It just took care of the medical bills right away.
I admit, before that incident, I was skeptical about paying extra for coverage I might never use. But after going through it firsthand, I realized how quickly medical expenses can pile up—even from something minor. It's definitely one of those things you don't fully appreciate until you actually need it.
Yeah, I get what you're saying about not appreciating it until you need it. I'm still learning all this stuff, but my instructor mentioned PIP briefly last week. Didn't realize how quickly those minor aches could turn into big bills... kinda eye-opening.
Yeah, PIP is one of those things you don't think about until you're staring at a stack of doctor bills. I had a buddy who rear-ended someone a couple years back—nothing major, just a fender bender—but he ended up with some nagging neck pain. At first, he brushed it off, figured it was just soreness from the jolt. But after a few days, it got worse, and he finally went to get checked out. Long story short, physical therapy sessions piled up pretty quick, and without PIP coverage, he'd have been paying out-of-pocket for all those visits.
Honestly, before that happened, I always thought PIP was just another way insurance companies squeezed extra cash out of us. But seeing how quickly medical bills can spiral—even from something minor—changed my tune. Now I make sure it's part of my policy. It's not flashy or exciting like collision coverage (which, let's face it, is what most of us car folks think about first), but it's practical and can save your wallet big-time.
I guess it's kinda like keeping a spare tire in the trunk. You never really appreciate it until you're stuck on the side of the road with a flat... then suddenly it's the best thing ever, haha. Anyway, good on your instructor for mentioning it early. Better to learn about this stuff now than after you're stuck footing the bill.
