PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection. It’s car insurance coverage that pays your medical bills, part of your lost income, and certain other costs after an accident, no matter who caused the crash. In Delaware, PIP is required on every registered vehicle, with minimum limits of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident under 21 Del. C. § 2118.
Most people never think about PIP until they need it. Then, usually while they’re hurting and dealing with a damaged car, they discover it’s the coverage that decides how their treatment gets paid for. This guide explains what PIP covers, what it doesn’t, how Delaware’s rules work, and what to do when your PIP runs out. For the full sequence of what to do after a crash, see our guide to Delaware’s car accident and claim rules.
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Key Takeaways
- PIP is “no-fault” coverage: it pays regardless of who caused the accident.
- Delaware requires PIP on every registered vehicle, with minimums of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident.
- Delaware PIP covers reasonable and necessary medical expenses, net lost earnings, substitute services, and funeral expenses (up to $5,000) incurred within two years of the accident.
- PIP does not pay for pain and suffering or vehicle damage. Those are pursued separately, usually against the at-fault driver.
What Does PIP Stand For?
PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection. You’ll also hear it called no-fault coverage, because it pays your own accident-related losses without anyone having to prove who caused the crash.
That’s the key difference between PIP and most other auto coverage. Liability insurance pays other people when you are at fault. PIP pays you, and the people in your car, regardless of fault. It’s first-party coverage: you file the claim with your own insurer rather than waiting on the other driver’s company.
What Does PIP Cover in Delaware?
Delaware PIP pays for losses that result from bodily injury in a motor vehicle accident. Under Delaware law and the state’s insurance regulations, those losses include:
- Medical expenses. Reasonable and necessary treatment for accident injuries, such as emergency care, hospital services, X-rays and other imaging, physician visits, surgery, prescriptions, ambulance transport, and rehabilitation.
- Lost earnings. The net amount of income you lose because your injuries keep you from working. Self-employed people can claim lost earnings too, with documentation.
- Substitute services. Reasonable costs of paying someone to do household tasks you can’t do while you recover.
- Funeral expenses. Up to $5,000 per person in the event of a fatal accident.
There’s an important time limit: Delaware PIP covers these expenses when they’re incurred within two years of the accident. Care after that window isn’t payable under PIP, even if your limit hasn’t been used up.
If lost income is a concern, keep your pay stubs and ask your provider for a written work-status note at each visit. Those are the documents insurers ask for when you claim lost earnings.
What PIP Doesn’t Cover
PIP is valuable, but it has clear boundaries. It does not pay for:
- Pain and suffering. Delaware PIP covers economic losses only. Compensation for pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life comes from a claim against the at-fault driver.
- Damage to your car. Vehicle repairs fall under collision coverage or the at-fault driver’s property damage liability.
- Costs above your limit. Once you’ve used your PIP limit, PIP stops paying.
- Costs incurred more than two years after the accident.
Your policy may also include a deductible, which Delaware allows. Check your declarations page or ask your agent what yours is.
Delaware’s PIP Requirements
Delaware is one of a minority of states that require PIP. Every vehicle registered in Delaware must carry it, with at least:
| Coverage | Delaware minimum |
|---|---|
| PIP per person | $15,000 |
| PIP per accident | $30,000 |
| Funeral expenses (within PIP) | $5,000 per person |
Many insurers offer higher PIP limits, and choosing more than the minimum is worth considering. A single hospital visit, imaging, and several weeks of care can approach the $15,000 minimum faster than people expect.
Being a PIP state doesn’t take away your right to sue. Delaware PIP pays your economic losses first, but if your injuries go beyond what PIP covers, you can still pursue the at-fault driver for the rest, including pain and suffering. Our article on whether Delaware is a no-fault state explains how that works and how comparative negligence affects a claim.
PIP vs. MedPay vs. Bodily Injury Liability
These three coverages are often confused. Here’s how they differ:
| PIP | MedPay | Bodily injury liability | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it pays | You and the people in your car | You and the people in your car | People you injure when you’re at fault |
| Pays regardless of fault? | Yes | Yes | No, only when you’re at fault |
| Medical bills | Yes | Yes | Yes, for the injured person |
| Lost wages | Yes | Usually no | Yes, through the injured person’s claim |
| Required in Delaware? | Yes | No | Yes, minimum $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident |
The short version: PIP is the broadest no-fault coverage because it reaches beyond medical bills to lost earnings and household help. MedPay is narrower and typically medical-only. Bodily injury liability protects you when you hurt someone else.
Who Is Covered by PIP?
Delaware PIP generally covers the driver and the passengers of the insured vehicle. That makes it one of the few coverages that protects a passenger without any question of who caused the crash. Exactly how coverage applies to household members, pedestrians, and people in other vehicles depends on the policy and the facts, so confirm the details with the insurer handling the claim.
If you were hurt riding in someone else’s car, ask the insurer handling the claim to confirm which policy’s PIP applies to you as a passenger.
How to Use PIP After an Accident
Using PIP is straightforward when you start early:
- Report the accident to your insurer promptly. Your policy requires timely notice, and the PIP claim starts there.
- Get a claim number. Keep it handy; every provider and every form will ask for it.
- Get evaluated quickly. Early care protects your health and creates a medical record that ties your injuries to the accident.
- Give your providers your PIP information. Most accident-injury providers bill PIP directly, so you aren’t paying out of pocket and waiting for reimbursement.
- Keep records. Save bills, receipts, mileage to appointments, and any work notes.
If the other driver’s insurer contacts you, be careful about what you say before you’ve been fully evaluated. See what not to do after a car accident.
What Happens When PIP Runs Out?
If your treatment costs reach your PIP limit, or your care extends past the two-year window, PIP stops paying. That doesn’t mean your care has to stop. Common next steps include:
- Your health insurance, which may cover continuing treatment, subject to its deductibles and network rules.
- A claim against the at-fault driver, handled by a personal injury attorney, which can cover costs beyond PIP.
- A letter of protection or medical lien, an arrangement in which treatment is paid from a future settlement. See what a letter of protection is and how it works.
One more detail: if another driver caused the crash, your PIP insurer may seek repayment from that driver’s liability insurer. That process, called subrogation, generally happens between the insurance companies, but it’s one reason accurate records matter.
Using PIP for Chiropractic and Rehab Care
Accident injuries such as whiplash, back strain, and soft tissue damage often need several weeks of care, and PIP is usually how that care is paid for. PIP pays for treatment that’s reasonable, necessary, and related to the accident, which is why thorough documentation from your first visit matters.
At our clinic in Bear, we evaluate accident injuries the same day, take X-rays on site, and bill PIP directly, so you can focus on recovering. Learn more about our car accident injury care, read who pays for chiropractic care after an accident, or call (302) 595-2584. We’re at 131 Becks Woods Dr, Bear, DE 19701, Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
This article explains Delaware insurance in general terms for patient information. It is not legal advice. For guidance on your specific claim, consult your insurer or a licensed Delaware attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
PIP pays for reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the accident, and chiropractic care for accident injuries is commonly billed to PIP. Coverage still depends on your policy, your remaining limit, and the care being related to the crash, so give your provider your claim number at your first visit.
Yes. Delaware requires Personal Injury Protection on every registered vehicle under 21 Del. C. § 2118. The minimum limits are $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident, and drivers can buy higher limits if their insurer offers them.
Yes. Delaware PIP pays the net amount of earnings you lose because accident injuries keep you from working, within your policy limit and within two years of the accident. Self-employed people can also claim lost earnings with proper documentation.
PIP stops paying once the limit is used. Further costs may be covered by your health insurance, by a claim against the at-fault driver, or through a letter of protection or lien arranged with your attorney. Talk with your provider and attorney before your PIP runs out.
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