Personal Injury Protection (PIP) in Texas: Paying for Care After a Crash

Quick answer: Personal injury protection (PIP) is part of nearly every Texas auto policy unless you turned it down in writing. It pays reasonable medical expenses from a crash, plus lost income, for you, people in your household and passengers in your car, and it pays no matter who caused the accident. The law requires $2,500 per person, and policies can carry higher limits. If you were hurt in a car accident in Bedford, check your policy for PIP before you assume your own coverage cannot help.

Everything below comes from the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and the Texas Insurance Code. We are a chiropractic clinic, not an insurance agent or a law firm, so for questions about your own policy, call your insurer, and for legal questions, talk to an attorney.

What is personal injury protection in Texas?

TDI’s auto insurance guide explains it simply: PIP pays your and your passengers’ medical bills, and also pays for things like lost wages and other nonmedical costs. Texas Insurance Code Section 1952.151 spells it out. PIP pays reasonable expenses that arise from an accident and are incurred within three years of it, for necessary medical, surgical, x-ray and dental services, ambulance, hospital and nursing services, lost income for people who work, and essential household services for injured people who do not earn wages.

Who does PIP cover?

The statute covers the named insured on the policy, members of that person’s household, and any authorized driver or passenger in the insured vehicle, including a guest. TDI notes that medical payments coverage, a similar coverage, also pays if you are hurt while riding in someone else’s car or while walking or biking.

Do you have PIP?

Probably. TDI says all auto policies in Texas include PIP coverage, and if you do not want it, you must tell the company in writing. Section 1952.152 says the same: the coverage applies unless a named insured rejects it in writing. Your declarations page shows whether you have it and your limit.

How much does PIP pay?

Section 1952.153 sets $2,500 for all benefits per person as the amount insurers must make available; the law does not require more than that, and a policy can carry a higher limit. TDI notes that PIP, like liability and uninsured motorist coverage, has a dollar limit: the most the company will pay, even if the cost is higher.

Does it matter who caused the crash?

No. Section 1952.155 says PIP benefits are payable without regard to fault, and without regard to other sources of medical or wage benefits you may have. That is the main reason PIP is worth knowing about: your own coverage can pay before anyone settles who was at fault.

How PIP compares with other coverage

Coverage	Who it pays	What it pays	Does fault matter?
Personal injury protection (PIP)	You, your household, your passengers	Medical bills, lost income, essential services	No
Medical payments	You and your passengers, also in someone else’s car or walking or biking	Medical bills	Check your policy
Other driver’s liability (30/60/25 minimum)	You, when the other driver is at fault	Your medical bills, car repair and other expenses	Yes
Uninsured/underinsured motorist	You, if the at-fault driver has no or too little insurance, or in a hit-and-run	Car repairs, a rental car, medical bills, pain and suffering	Yes

TDI says that if the other driver’s limits are not enough to cover your medical bills, you can file with your auto or health insurer, and your auto insurer will use PIP, medical payments or uninsured/underinsured coverage to pay the difference. You might have to pay a deductible.

How fast does the insurer have to pay?

Section 1952.156 says the insurer pays PIP benefits as claims arise, and no later than the 30th day after it receives satisfactory proof of the claim. The same section lets a policy set a deadline, of at least six months after the accident, for your original proof of loss, so do not sit on it. Report the crash to your insurer as soon as possible; TDI says most companies have deadlines for filing claims.

What paperwork should you keep?

Keep every medical record and bill, the police crash report, photos from the scene, and the name and number of your adjuster. TDI recommends telling your insurer if you were injured and giving it copies of medical reports and doctors’ bills. Our guide on how to get your Texas crash report explains how to buy the officer’s report, and what to do after a car accident in Bedford covers the first days.

What if you have no auto coverage that applies?

You still have options. We accept most health insurance, and for patients without insurance we offer affordable rates and flexible payment plans. Ask the front desk when you call. If someone else caused the crash and you have questions about recovering your costs, that is a question for an attorney; we can give you a referral.

Why choose Back & Neck Care Center of Bedford for car accident care?

We have 30 years of treating injury cases, and we take the paperwork off your plate: we accept most insurance and do all the paperwork. Your first visit includes an exam and x-rays in the office when needed, and most patients get their first treatment the same day. Dr. Richard Chatfield, D.C. consults with medical colleagues on complicated cases and provides M.D. and attorney referrals. See car accident care and personal and work injury care. If your neck is hurting after a crash, read about whiplash symptoms that show up days later.

We are at 2803 Central Dr in Bedford, by appointment. Call (817) 283-6100 or request an appointment, and have your auto insurance card handy.

This article is general information, not legal, insurance or medical advice. Check your own policy with your insurer, and talk to an attorney about legal questions.