Medical payments coverage (MedPay) pays medical bills for you and your passengers after a crash regardless of fault. PIP does that too and also pays lost wages and other nonmedical costs. Every Texas auto policy includes PIP unless you rejected it in writing; MedPay is optional.
The Texas Department of Insurance describes medical payments coverage as paying your and your passengers' medical bills, and also paying if you are hurt while riding in someone else's car or while walking or biking. It is an optional coverage you may or may not have bought.
Personal Injury Protection is broader and is part of every Texas policy unless the named insured rejects it in writing. Under Insurance Code section 1952.151, PIP pays reasonable medical expenses, replacement of lost income for income producers, and essential household services for people who were not earning income, for expenses incurred within three years of the accident.
Both pay regardless of who caused the crash, which is why they are often the fastest money available while the claim against the at-fault driver is pending. PIP benefits are payable without regard to fault or to collateral sources such as health insurance, and the PIP insurer generally cannot recover them back from the at-fault driver.
Check your declarations page. It lists each coverage and its limits. Many people have PIP at the required minimum and no MedPay, and some rejected PIP when they bought the policy without realizing it. If you did not reject PIP in writing, it is part of the policy.
Using these coverages does not reduce your claim against the driver who caused the crash. Owsley Law Firm reviews your policy at the first meeting so every available benefit is used, and charges no fee unless it wins.
PIP is payable without regard to health insurance under Insurance Code section 1952.155, so it can help with deductibles and copays even when health insurance also pays. How MedPay coordinates depends on the policy language.
PIP covers the named insured, household members, and authorized drivers and passengers of the insured vehicle. MedPay, according to TDI, can also pay when you are hurt as a passenger in someone else's car or while walking or biking, depending on your policy.
If you rejected PIP, you may still have MedPay, health insurance, and uninsured motorist coverage to rely on. Your declarations page shows what you have.
Mistakes that cost people money
- Not filing a PIP or MedPay claim because the other driver was at fault.
- Assuming you have PIP without checking whether it was rejected in writing.
- Not keeping receipts for out-of-pocket costs that PIP can reimburse.
Related questions
Does using PIP raise my rates?
Ask your insurer. No Texas statute guarantees a rate will stay the same after a claim, so get the answer in writing.
Is PIP paid back from my settlement?
Generally no. A PIP insurer usually has no right to recover benefits from the at-fault driver, with an exception when that driver had no required insurance.
How much PIP do I have?
Texas requires at least $2,500 per person unless rejected in writing. Many policies carry more.
Read next
