What Is Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance?

Personal injury protection, or PIP, is auto insurance coverage that pays for medical expenses from car-related injuries, no matter who is at fault. While PIP coverage is offered in 17 states and Washington, D.C., only 12 of those states require all drivers to carry a minimum amount of personal injury protection.

PIP insurance is meant to cover any injuries you sustain from a crash, regardless of who is at fault, and includes other benefits as well. Depending on your state, PIP could help pay for:

• Medical bills and expenses that arise from a car crash.

• Lost wages if you are unable to work due to injuries sustained from an accident.

• Services you can no longer perform because of an accident, such as house cleaning or child care.

• Funeral costs if an injury sustained from an accident leads to death.

• A small death benefit as a cash payout.

Depending on where you live, your PIP policy may have an insurance deductible, which is the amount you’re responsible for covering toward the cost of a claim. Your insurance company typically subtracts your deductible from your payout.

PIP generally covers the policyholder and family members in the household, passengers in the vehicle and others who are driving the car with permission. Your PIP may also cover you if you’re injured while riding in someone else’s car, or if you’re injured by a vehicle as a pedestrian or cyclist.

» MORE: What does car insurance cover?

Personal injury protection is sometimes called “no-fault insurance.” The name is a reference to states with “no-fault” laws, such as Florida, Michigan and New York. These laws prohibit injured drivers from suing at-fault drivers after an accident unless their injuries are severe or their medical expenses are higher than their state’s minimum requirement to sue.

“No-fault” states require every driver to have a minimum amount of PIP. This is intended to keep the cost of auto insurance down for all drivers by keeping minor injuries from going to court.

» MORE: What is no-fault insurance?

You can purchase PIP insurance in 17 states, as well as Washington, D.C. Twelve states require drivers to carry a minimum amount of PIP, while a few others offer it as an optional add-on to your policy.

Personal injury protection is required in 12 states

Drivers in 12 states are required to purchase a minimum amount of PIP insurance, but the required amount varies by state. Use the table below to see if you need personal injury protection in your state, and what the minimum amount is.

PIP is optional or can be waived in 5 states, plus Washington, D.C.

Five states plus Washington, D.C., offer personal injury protection as an optional add-on or allow drivers to waive it in writing. Use the table below to see how these states handle PIP coverage.

Medical payments coverage, better known as MedPay, pays for medical expenses from crash-related injuries regardless of fault. But it doesn’t offer the additional financial benefits that PIP does, like covering lost wages, funeral costs, child care or housecleaning expenses.

MedPay is also an optional coverage. Some states, such as Florida and Massachusetts, allow insurers to offer both PIP and MedPay.

» MORE: Understanding medical payments coverage

Personal injury protection is a type of auto insurance coverage, while liability insurance can be on many types of insurance policies, including auto, homeowners, renters and condo insurance.

PIP pays for your medical care if you're injured in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. On the other hand, liability car insurance pays for any injuries or property damage you cause when you are at fault in an accident. Liability insurance does not pay for your own injuries or for damage to your property. PIP is required in a few states, while auto liability insurance is required in most states.

To learn how PIP insurance compares to other types of car insurance, use our tool below.