Virginia Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Coverage Explained

Auto insurance laws in Virginia don’t require drivers to carry personal injury protection, or PIP, on their policies. Still, many add this optional coverage onto their full coverage policies because of its excellent protection. PIP is a first-party medical benefit (FPMB) that policyholders can use to cover the medical expenses they incur in an accident, regardless of who was at fault. Since it covers policyholders regardless of fault, it’s often considered a no-fault coverage.

PIP isn’t available in the Old Dominion, as insurers in the state don’t offer this coverage. Let’s find out what PIP is, what coverage drivers may add to their Virginia auto insurance policies instead of PIP to cover their medical expenses, and why it isn’t offered in the Old Dominion.

All drivers must have vehicle insurance in Virginia, but they aren’t required to carry PIP as a coverage type on their policies. In fact, Virginians can’t even add PIP to their policies, as insurers don’t offer the coverage. Instead, drivers who want comparable protection must select another FPMB offered in the state. 

PIP is often required in no-fault states and offered as optional coverage in tort states. Since Virginia isn’t a no-fault state but a tort state, drivers aren’t legally required to carry this coverage, and insurers don’t waste their time offering it. 

In Virginia, the state auto insurance laws require drivers to have at least $30,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $60,000 in bodily injury liability per accident, $20,000 in property damage liability per accident (30/60/20 liability coverage), $25,000 in uninsured or underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UMBI/UIMBI) per person, $50,000 in UMBI/UIMBI per accident, and $20,000 in uninsured or underinsured motorist property damage coverage (UMPD/UIMPD) per accident or 25/50/20 uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM). 

Those who finance or lease their vehicles may be required to have comprehensive and collision coverages as part of their legally binding financing or leasing agreement. Driving without insurance in the Old Dominion is illegal for those who don’t pay the uninsured motorist fee and can result in penalties like fines, license or registration suspension, or even jail time.

The laws in Virginia only require drivers to have liability and UM/UIM coverages, so many drivers don’t have any protection for their own expenses in the event of an at-fault accident. Drivers with full coverage policies with optional coverages like medical payments coverage (MedPay), collision coverage, and comprehensive coverage are far more protected on the road in various accident scenarios, regardless of fault, than those with minimum coverage policies.

While personal injury protection in Virginia isn’t an available coverage option, drivers can select a different FPMB to replace it. Virginians may opt for MedPay, another FPMB similar to PIP, to help them cover their medical expenses in the event of an accident. Both coverages offer policyholders financial assistance for their accident-related medical bills, regardless of who caused the accident. Both MedPay and PIP are often referred to as no-fault coverages.

In states that offer the coverage, once drivers meet their deductible, PIP may cover a number of medical expenses due to an accident up to one’s policy limit, like ambulance rides, hospital stays, doctor’s visits, diagnostic tests, prescription medications, surgeries, loss of wages, and funeral expenses, among others.

While PIP coverage and MedPay are both FPMBs, they don’t quite cover the same things. The most apparent difference between the coverage types is the loss of wage coverage. PIP is a bit more inclusive than MedPay, as MedPay strictly covers medical or funeral expenses. PIP tends to reach a bit further and sometimes offers wage replacement, coverage for child care or in-home care, and other distantly related accident expenses, depending on the laws in the state.

While PIP is a bit more expansive than MedPay, MedPay is still valuable when it comes to coverage for a policyholder’s medical expenses. While adding MedPay to one’s policy may make it a bit harder to find the cheapest policy in the state, one shouldn’t have to sacrifice coverage in the name of savings. Many of the top insurers in the state offer full coverage policies with MedPay for lower-than-average base rates, especially when discounts are applied and stacked. 

Virginia’s average full coverage policy costs about $1,340 in annual premiums, or about 20% below the national average. With some research and smart discount stacking, policyholders may be able to get the coverage they need to feel protected behind the wheel without having to dip too far into their savings. 

No, Virginia doesn’t have PIP coverage, but insurers in the state offer another FPMB in place of the coverage. Generally, PIP is most likely found in no-fault states where drivers are required by law to have the coverage type on their policies or they’re required to have an FPMB. Since Virginia isn’t a no-fault state, residents aren’t required to have PIP, and insurers don’t offer the coverage.

While PIP isn’t offered in the Old Dominion, another FPMB called MedPay is often provided in its place. MedPay acts very similarly to PIP in that it’s an FPMB that helps cover the policyholder’s accident-related medical expenses, regardless of who’s at fault. The most significant difference between the coverages is that PIP’s coverage range expands a bit wider than MedPay’s, as MedPay strictly covers medical expenses and funeral costs.

PIP is often required and especially useful in states with densely populated cities or a higher-than-average population of uninsured drivers. While Virginia is a highly populated state, its cities aren’t densely populated, and it has an average number of uninsured drivers. However, drivers may feel more protected behind the wheel when they opt to carry an FPMB, even if it isn’t legally required, because it offers excellent protection in a number of accident scenarios.

If you want to add an FPMB to your policy or are curious about how much the coverage type would raise your premiums, the best way to see all your policy options rates is to get and compare quotes online. By getting and comparing quotes online, you can view all types of policies from several of the top insurers in the state, so you can ensure you’re getting excellent coverage and the most bang for your buck.

Luckily, you’ve come to the right place for quotes. Here at Clovered, we have a free quoting tool you can use to access your unique quotes in minutes. If you prefer to speak with a professional about your quotes, one of our licensed agents will be happy to assist you at 833-255-4117 or [email protected].