PIP coverage probably won't speed up the whole "who's at fault" debate, unfortunately. But it can definitely help you get medical bills covered quicker, since it pays out regardless of fault. Might save you some headaches there...
PIP coverage definitely has its perks, especially when it comes to medical bills. A couple years back, my wife had a minor fender-bender—nothing serious, thankfully—but she ended up needing some physical therapy for her neck. The whole "who's at fault" thing dragged on for weeks (felt like months, honestly...), but our PIP kicked in almost immediately. It was a relief knowing we didn't have to wait around for the insurance companies to finish their little blame game before getting her treatment covered.
That said, you're right—it doesn't really speed up the fault debate itself. Insurance companies seem to love taking their sweet time with that part, don't they? Still, having those medical bills sorted quickly was a huge stress reliever. And let's face it, after an accident, anything that reduces stress is worth its weight in gold...or at least worth the monthly premium!
"Insurance companies seem to love taking their sweet time with that part, don't they?"
Haha, ain't that the truth. Had a similar situation last year when someone rear-ended me at a stoplight—nothing major, just enough to leave my bumper looking sad and me feeling sore for a few days. The other driver was super apologetic at first, but as soon as insurance got involved, suddenly it was like we were in court or something. 🙄
Anyway, PIP really saved my sanity there. My back started acting up pretty bad about two days later (of course, because why wouldn't it?), and I needed a couple of chiropractor visits to sort things out. My PIP coverage kicked in right away without waiting for the blame game circus to wrap up. Honestly, knowing I could get treatment immediately without worrying about who'd eventually foot the bill made the whole ordeal way more manageable.
The downside is exactly what you said—the fault debate dragged on forever. I swear they must have had carrier pigeons delivering paperwork or something... But hey, at least my medical stuff was taken care of quickly. Definitely worth paying that little extra each month for peace of mind alone.
Side note: anyone else notice how insurance companies are lightning-fast when it's time to collect your premium but move at snail speed when it's their turn to pay up? Funny how that works...
Totally agree with you about insurance companies dragging their feet—I swear it's like they're hoping you'll just give up and pay out of pocket. Had a minor fender-bender myself a couple years back, and PIP coverage was a lifesaver. But heads-up: keep an eye on your coverage limits. Those chiropractor visits add up quicker than you'd think, and once you hit that cap, you're back to waiting on snail-paced adjusters again...
Good points on the chiropractor visits—been there myself and yeah, it sneaks up fast. A couple things I'd add from experience:
- Double-check if your insurer has a preferred provider list. Using their approved docs can streamline claims and speed things up a bit.
- Keep detailed notes of every call and email with adjusters. Trust me, when things slow down (and they will...), having specifics handy helps move things along.
- And definitely watch those limits. Might seem fine at first, but medical bills have a way of snowballing.