After a collision, missed shifts, medical appointments and household limits can quickly affect your finances. In Florida, personal injury protection, or PIP, is no-fault coverage that may pay benefits regardless of who caused the crash.
PIP generally covers 60% of lost gross income and 100% of expenses for reasonable replacement household services, such as childcare, cleaning or errands you cannot do because of your injuries, up to policy limits. If your losses exceed PIP, the at-fault driver’s bodily injury coverage or your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may also matter.
After a crash, gather documents that show both missed income and costs for household help:
1. Pay and tax records
Keep recent pay stubs, 1099s, W-2s or tax returns. If you are self-employed, profit and loss statements, invoices, bank deposits or business records may show income changes after the accident. These documents can show what you usually earned before the collision and help explain income that changes by season, shift, client work or commission.
2. Employer verification
Ask your employer for a wage verification letter or form. It should confirm your job title, pay rate, normal schedule, missed workdays and whether you lost bonuses, tips or other regular income.
3. Medical work restrictions
Save doctor’s notes, therapy records and discharge instructions that explain why you could not work. These records help connect your missed income to your crash injuries, not to unrelated time away.
4. Receipts for household services
Household service expenses differ from missed wages. If your injuries kept you from caring for children, driving to appointments, cooking, cleaning or handling errands, keep receipts or invoices for paid assistance. These records can show expenses tied to crash-related household help.
5. Insurance and benefit letters
Keep letters from your PIP insurer, health insurer, employer benefits office and any insurer reviewing your crash claim. These records can show what was paid, denied or still pending.
Protect your claim from missing details
Florida PIP benefits generally depend on getting medical treatment within 14 days after the crash. If your injuries cause lasting problems, medical records may also help show whether you can seek pain and suffering damages under Florida law. Organizing this paperwork early can help you respond when an insurer questions your missed work, expenses for replacement household services or recovery timeline.