Massachusetts follows a no-fault car insurance system. This means if you have a car accident, and even if you are at-fault for causing the accident, you can still have your medical bills paid through Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

That means your car insurance company (or the vehicle you were a passenger in at the time of the accident, or if you were a pedestrian struck by a car), will pay your reasonable and necessary medical bills stemming from the car accident.

If you were not at fault for the accident, and you make a claim against the other driver’s insurance company, that insurance company is entitled to a PIP offset.

That means that car insurance company is entitled to an offset to the extent your car insurance company paid your medical bills out of PIP. Accordingly, the bodily injury settlement offer will be reduced. As an example, if your medical bills stemming from the car accident are $5,000, and the total settlement value of your case is $15,000, then you will be offered $10,000.  That is because the at-fault driver’s insurance company must pay that $5000 to your car insurance company. This is referred to as a PIP offset.

This policy is in place because you can’t have your medical bills paid by your car insurance company, and then be paid directly by the at-fault insurance company for these bills. That basically prevents ‘double-dipping.’

Boston Car Accident Attorney

No matter what type of Massachusetts car accident you had, I encourage you to read our free guide, The Truth About Massachusetts Auto Accidents. Read this guide before filling out any insurance company paperwork or hiring an attorney.

Give us a call today for a free consultation. We’ll explain your rights and work hard to make sure you’re not stuck with big bills from a car crash. You’re not in this by yourself. The Earley Law Group Injury Lawyers are here to help. Call us now, and let’s begin your journey to getting better.

Conclusion

if you get hurt in a car crash in Massachusetts, there’s a special rule for dealing with who pays for your medical bills and other costs. This is part of what’s called the no-fault car insurance, which means even if the crash was your fault, your car insurance (PIP insurance) helps cover your medical expenses and some of the money you didn’t earn because you were too hurt to work.

But, if the other driver caused the crash, and you ask their insurance to pay, they get to use what’s called a PIP offset. This means they can reduce the money they give you by the amount your insurance already paid for your medical bills.

Let’s say your bills from the crash are $5,000 and you were hoping to get $15,000 for your trouble, pain, and other losses. Because of the PIP offset, the other driver’s insurance might only offer you $10,000, since your own insurance already covered the $5,000 for your medical bills. They do this to make sure you don’t get paid twice for the same bills.

Remember, after an auto accident, it’s not just about getting back the money spent on doctors or hospitals. It’s also about making sure you’re okay financially for the time you couldn’t work and for the pain and trouble the crash caused you.

This issues can get pretty complicated, which is why reading up on how car accidents are handled in Massachusetts can really help. And before you sign any papers or decide to hire a lawyer, make sure you understand how these rules work.

It’s all about making sure you’re treated fairly and get the help you need after a crash.