North Chicago & St. Louis Injury Updates
People know that they have to obtain and maintain the minimum car insurance requirements for the state of Illinois in order to remain legal on the roadway. We will get into the specific types of insurance needed in a moment, but we also want to mention a type of auto insurance coverage that many people are not aware of – personal injury protection (PIP).
Personal injury protection is designed to help a person cover their medical bills and lost income in the event they are involved in a vehicle accident. Here, our Chicago car accident attorneys discuss how this type of insurance coverage can be beneficial to individuals and their family members, and we want to discuss whether or not PIP insurance is required in Illinois.
What is Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance?
Personal injury protection (PIP) insurance is designed to cover a person’s medical bills and lost wages if they are injured in a vehicle accident. This type of insurance will also provide the same types of coverage for passengers inside the vehicle if they are injured or miss work.
PIP Insurance is optional in most states throughout the US. However, there are some states that require a person to carry a minimum amount of PIP coverage. This type of coverage is usually required in states that handle accidents on a “no-fault” basis, meaning each party is required to turn to their own insurance carrier regardless of who caused the crash.
Is PIP Insurance Required in Illinois?
Illinois is not a “no-fault” state when it comes to auto insurance coverage. In order for drivers to remain legal on the roadway in this state, they must carry and maintain the following types of insurance:
- Bodily injury liability coverage: Minimum legal requirement $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
- Property damage liability coverage: Minimum legal requirement $20,000
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage: Minimum legal requirement $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
Drivers in Illinois are not required to carry uninsured motorist property damage coverage or underinsured motorist coverage. Additionally, drivers in this state are not required to carry personal injury protection (PIP) insurance coverage.
Just about any major insurance carrier will allow drivers to purchase PIP coverage as an optional type of insurance protection. In fact, this can be an incredibly valuable type of protection for a driver to have.
After an accident occurs, drivers will typically obtain compensation for their medical bills and lost wages from the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier.
However, what happens to drivers who actually caused the accident? Will they be able to receive coverage for their medical bills and lost wages with the insurance required by the state of Illinois?
The answer is no, they will not. An at-fault driver will not be able to pay for their medical bills and lost income if they do not have additional types of insurance coverage, including personal injury protection.
We strongly encourage you to look at your insurance policy and evaluate whether or not you should purchase various types of coverage above and beyond what Illinois actually requires. In the event an accident happens, you want to be protected. When many people are getting their insurance, they simply go for the absolute cheapest types of coverage possible. However, you never know when an accident may occur, and if you happen to be at fault for the incident, it will be nice to have personal injury protection insurance to cover your incoming expenses.