Do I Have to Tell My Own Insurance If the Crash Wasn’t My Fault? Florida’s PIP Rules Make This a Must
You've recently been in an accident, and the other driver is apologizing. Their insurance information is in your hands; it's clearly their fault, and now you're wondering, "Do I have to tell my own Insurance if the crash wasn’t my fault?" especially when you know your rates will go up. In Florida, that instinct is understandable. It’s also one of the most common ways good people accidentally hurt their own case. If the crash wasn’t your fault, you usually still need to notify your own insurance promptly, especially because Florida is a no-fault state and your own policy may be the fastest path to getting medical care paid through Personal Injury Protection (PIP). Florida’s no-fault system requires most drivers to carry PIP, which is designed to pay certain medical expenses and lost wages after a crash, regardless of who caused it. That means your first stop for medical payment is often your own policy, not the at-fault driver’s insurer. If you delay reporting the accident because you’re waiting on the other driver’s insurance to “do the right thing,” you can end up with unpaid bills, gaps in treatment, and a claim that gets harder to prove. Do I have a legal obligation to report it to my insurer? Most auto policies have notice requirements. In everyday terms, your insurance contract typically says you must notify them of an accident promptly, even if you don’t think you’re at fault and even if you don’t want to make a claim. Therefore, to truly protect yourself in the short term and in the long run, you'll want to confirm what's in the fine print of your contract before you decide to blow off your insurer! If you don't, [...]
