Have you been hurt in a car wreck?  Then you need to know the “rest of the story”.

We all remember the Paul Harvey line of  “Now for the rest of the story”.    It was more than just a reporter’s by-line,  it was a reminder that a half-truth is not a truth at all.   A half-truth is a total lie because it  misleads, confuses, and worse – it can hurt people.

That is why I am posting today on Personal Injury Protection benefits or PIP and the rest of the story.

I frequently see promotions and advertisements where someone somewhere tells the public that they can get you Ten Thousand Dollars from your car accident.

Well,  that is a half truth.  Let me tell you the rest of the story.

Yes, when you have been hurt in a car accident in Kentucky, you are entitled by law to up to $10,000 in personal injury protection benefits.   This is sometimes called no-fault benefits or PIP benefits.

You are entitled to your personal injury protection benefits, regardless of who caused the accident or whether you are even at fault.   It is also a fact that PIP benefits are there to pay you quickly and to cover you for any lost wages or medical bills you have because of the car accident  and that you can claim PIP benefits while you are hurt and still  treating.

However, here is where you have to be careful because the half-truth can cause harm to others if you now mistakenly believe that someone has valued your entire  your case for $10,000, and that you can expect to recover $10,000 as the  amount for  your pain and suffering.

The $10,000 available to  you for PIP benefits are not payments for your pain and suffering or any permanent injury caused by the car collision.  You can only get paid for your pain and suffering from the other insurance company whose driver was at fault for causing the collision.  If anyone tells you differently or that you can get $10,000 for your injuries to include past and future pain and suffering,  medicals, and impairment to work, then you have not been told the whole story because:

• PIP is NOT pain and suffering.
• PIP does not pay anything unless  you have an actual wage loss or medical claim caused by a car accident.
• PIP does not cover you for wages or medical bills unless AND until you miss the work or have the medical treatment.

Now, what is pain and suffering and how do you get paid by the insurance company for those damages?

You can get awarded pain and suffering – If you have a permanent injury or at least $1,000 in medical bills for injuries from the car accident, then you can make a claim for pain and suffering against the at fault driver’s insurance company.

However the at-fault driver’s insurance company does not represent you and is not there to help you.

The at-fault driver’s  liability insurance company will not roll over and pay you $10,000 as some might have  you believe because that is not how an insurance company makes money for its shareholders or how they protect their own insured drivers.

Worse yet for you, the liability insurer knows the lay of the land and is not required to pay you full value for your claim.   If the other insurance company can get away with it,  then they will try and settle your claim on the cheap.  Sometimes they even pay less than their own evaluation!

So, if you have been hurt in a car collision and wish to be paid for your pain and suffering from the other insurance company, then you will want to get all the money you deserve for  your pain and suffering.

That’s where a lawyer can help you.

That’s what injury lawyers do.   When you hurt, we help!