Sep 10, 2026 · LawyerUnc editorial · Florida · Car accident · YMYL

Your own Florida PIP is not the crash lawsuit

The 2026 bills that would have killed no-fault died in committee. PIP still pays first, usually $10,000, if you get treated in 14 days. Suing the other driver for pain and suffering is a different claim, with a serious-injury threshold.

Last checked Sep 10, 2026 · LawyerUnc editorial. Educational only, not legal advice.

After a Florida wreck, people look at the other driver. The first check is often their own policy. That is Personal Injury Protection, PIP, and it is still the law.

SB 522 and HB 769 would have repealed the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law in the 2026 session. Both died in committee on March 13, 2026, the last day of the regular session. Nothing in those bills became law. Fla. Stat. § 627.736 still requires PIP on most Florida-registered vehicles. The usual number is $10,000. That is a coverage limit in the statute. It is not a value of anyone's case.

PIP generally pays a share of reasonable medical bills and lost wages after a crash, whoever caused it. There is a 14-day trap. Initial medical services generally have to begin within 14 days of the crash or PIP medical benefits can be lost. That clock is not the two-year lawsuit clock, and it is not the 51% shared-blame bar.

Suing the at-fault driver for pain and suffering is a different claim. Fla. Stat. § 627.737 still requires a serious injury: a significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, a permanent injury, significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death. A sore neck that heals is usually a PIP file. It is not automatically a pain-and-suffering file. The 51% bar and the two-year filing deadline (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) for crashes after March 24, 2023) only matter on the lawsuit side.

Save the scene photos, the police report number, the other card, and the date you first saw a doctor. Do not post a joke about the crash. This is a map of the published no-fault rules, not a ruling on your wreck, and not legal advice. Last checked 10 September 2026 against Fla. Stat. §§ 627.736 and 627.737 and the 2026 Florida Senate and House histories for SB 522 and HB 769.