Florida PIP Insurance and the 14-Day Rule

What PIP Actually Is

Florida is a no-fault state for the first layer of injury coverage. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.736, personal injury protection pays a portion of your medical expenses and lost wages after a crash regardless of who caused it — your own insurer pays, and fault is not the question.

The standard benefit is $10,000. Within that, PIP generally covers 80% of reasonable and necessary medical expenses and 60% of lost income, subject to the policy terms.

There is a significant limitation people discover late: unless a medical provider determines you have an emergency medical condition, the benefit available may be limited to $2,500 rather than the full $10,000. That determination has to be made and documented by a qualifying provider.

This is general information, not legal advice. Florida statutes are amended and courts reinterpret them. Section numbers are given so you can check the current text, and how any rule applies depends on facts a general page cannot assess. Confirm your position with an attorney.

The 14-Day Rule

This is the provision that costs people money most often, and it is unforgiving.

Initial services and care must be received within 14 days of the crash. Miss that window and PIP benefits are generally unavailable, whatever the injury turns out to be and however serious it becomes.

It catches people out because several of the most serious truck crash injuries do not announce themselves at the scene:

• Concussion and mild traumatic brain injury, where symptoms often begin hours or days later.
• Disc herniation, which frequently starts as stiffness and progresses over days.
• Internal bleeding, which can remain symptom-free for hours — see Internal Injuries.
• Whiplash, where onset is typically 12 to 72 hours after the crash.

Adrenaline masks all of it at the scene, and someone who feels functional goes home. The practical rule is simple: be evaluated after any truck crash, whatever you think of your injuries, and do it well inside the window rather than on day thirteen.

Published By

Shiner Law Group, P.A.

Founded by David I. Shiner, Esq. · AV Preeminent® rated · Florida Bar member since 2002

Shiner Law Group was founded by David I. Shiner, Esq., a Nova Southeastern University law graduate, a member of The Florida Bar since 2002, and AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell. The firm represents injured people across Florida from offices in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Orlando, Wellington, and Belle Glade, and handles truck accident cases on contingency: free consultations, and no fee unless there is a recovery.

The firm works to keep this information current and consistent. Spotted something wrong? Email joseph@shinerlawgroup.com and we will fix it. About this site →

What PIP Does Not Do

PIP is a floor, not a remedy, and in a serious truck crash it is exhausted almost immediately. A single emergency admission with imaging can consume the entire benefit before any treatment plan begins.

• It does not pay everything. Generally 80% of medical expenses and 60% of lost income, within the cap.
• It does not cover pain and suffering. Non-economic damages require meeting the threshold in Fla. Stat. § 627.737.
• It does not depend on fault, and it does not resolve fault. Recovering PIP says nothing about who caused the crash.
• It does not replace a liability claim. Costs beyond PIP are pursued against the at-fault parties — which for interstate carriers means coverage beginning at a federal minimum of $750,000.

So the sequence in a serious truck case is: PIP first and fast, then a liability claim against the carrier and everyone else responsible. See Trucking Insurance.

What to Do

1. Get evaluated within 14 days, even if you feel fine. This is the single most time-critical thing after a Florida crash.
2. Ask about an emergency medical condition determination, which affects whether the full $10,000 or $2,500 is available.
3. Report every symptom at every visit, including cognitive, sleep, and emotional ones.
4. Notify your own insurer promptly and open the PIP claim — your policy requires cooperation.
5. Keep attending appointments. Gaps in treatment are read as recovery by every insurer involved.
6. Do not treat PIP as the end of it. In a serious truck crash it covers a fraction of the loss.
7. Note the deadline for the liability claim. Florida’s limitations period for most negligence claims arising after March 24, 2023 is two years. Claims involving a government entity carry far shorter pre-suit notice requirements. See Florida’s Truck Accident Deadline.

Florida PIP FAQ