Personal injury protection (PIP)
Updated for plan year 2026
In plain terms
Personal injury protection (PIP), sometimes called no-fault coverage, pays medical expenses (and often lost wages) for you and your passengers after a crash, regardless of who caused it. It is required in no-fault states and optional or unavailable in others, where MedPay plays a similar, narrower role.
A plain example
In a no-fault state you're injured in a collision that wasn't your fault. Rather than waiting on the other driver's insurer, your own PIP pays your medical bills and part of your lost income right away.
Why it matters
PIP speeds up payment after an accident and can cover gaps your health plan won't, like lost wages. In no-fault states it's mandatory, so understanding your limit matters; elsewhere it may duplicate good health coverage.