Hypothetical Car Accident: How Does PIP Insurance Actually Work?

Honestly, I've never maxed mine out personally, but a buddy of mine did after a pretty nasty accident last year. From what he said, once you hit that PIP limit, things get messy fast - medical bills start piling up and your health insurance or the other driver's coverage has to step in. Seems like it can turn into a real headache sorting out who pays for what... Makes me wonder if it's worth upping the PIP coverage limits just to avoid that hassle?

I get why you'd consider upping the limits, but honestly, I've always felt like higher PIP coverage is just throwing money away. Had a minor fender-bender couple years back and my regular health insurance stepped in smoothly - no real hassle. Guess it depends on your situation though...

Had a different experience myself... friend of mine got rear-ended pretty hard last year, and his regular health insurance covered most stuff, sure - but PIP kicked in for things like lost wages and even some rehab sessions that weren't fully covered. Made me rethink it a bit. Guess it's not always black-and-white.

Hadn't really thought about PIP much until a coworker had a similar situation. She got sideswiped pretty bad, and while her health insurance was decent, there were still gaps - especially with physical therapy and some missed workdays. PIP stepped in and covered those bits, which made a noticeable difference for her. I used to think it was just another add-on, but seeing it actually help someone I know changed my perspective a bit. Guess it's one of those things you don't appreciate until you need it...

Interesting, hadn't considered the missed workdays angle before. Does anyone know if PIP coverage varies a lot by state or is it pretty standard everywhere? Just trying to wrap my head around it all...