Do Motorists in Oklahoma Need Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance Coverage?

When you sustain an injury in amotor vehicle accident, the cost of medical treatment can add up quickly. You may need to undergo medical treatment, surgery, or other procedures, and purchase medications. This can result in massive medical expenses, not to mention that you would miss work due to your injury.

To cover your medical expenses and lost wages following a car accident, you will need to turn to auto insurance. Whether you should turn to your car insurance company or obtain compensation through the other driver’s insurer depends on your state’s laws.

In no-fault states, motorists must first file anaccident insurance claim with their own auto insurer. However, Oklahoma is not a no-fault state. In at-fault auto insurance states such as Oklahoma, you must file a claim through the at-fault party’s liability coverage to recover damages. So, does that mean that motorists do not need Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage in Oklahoma?

What is Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Coverage?

In no-fault states, motorists who purchase auto insurance must carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. In the event of a car crash, a motorist’s insurance company would cover medical bills and lost wages up to the policy limits regardless of who was at fault for causing the collision. In other words, PIP coverage can cover your damages even if you caused the crash.

Some of the benefits of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage include:

• The coverage provides easy and quick access to compensation for the injured party without having to establish fault;
• The injured party does not need to file a lawsuit against another party or go to court to recover damages; and
• Insurance premiums are typically lower for PIP insurance coverage because insurers avoid litigation costs and court fees.

How to Seek Compensation for Your Car Accident Injury in Oklahoma

Since Oklahoma is an at-fault state where Personal Injury Protection coverage is not required, how can motorists recover damages in the event of a car crash? Like in any other at-fault state, in Oklahoma, an injured party can seek compensation for their injury by filing a claim against the at-fault driver’s car insurance company.

Oklahoma requires motorists to carry certain minimum amounts of liability coverage to pay for any injuries and damages suffered by other people as a result of the insured motorist’s fault. According toThe Zebra, the minimum auto insurance requirements for liability coverage are:

• $25,000 for bodily injury or death per person
• $50,000 for bodily injury or death per accident
• $25,000 for property damage per accident

Thus, if you were injured in a car accident, you would need to file a claim through the at-fault driver’s liability insurance coverage. You would seek compensation through your own auto insurance company only if:

• You were injured by a hit-and-run driver or the motorist who caused your injury or property damages cannot be identified.
• The other motorist does not have any liability insurance coverage.
• The other motorist does not have sufficient liability insurance coverage to cover all of your losses.

In any of those scenarios, you would have to seek compensation through theUninsured Motorist Coverage or Underinsured Motorist Coverage as part of your insurance policy.

Contact ourTulsa car accident attorney at the Law Firm of BDIW Law to help you establish fault in your motor vehicle collision and obtain the compensation you deserve. Call at 918-728-6500 to get a consultation.