PIP and Wage Loss

In articles past, we’ve discussed the ways an Oregon car accident victim can best utilize their insurance packages. PIP, or Personal Injury Protection is one part of your car insurance that you can turn to for help paying your medical bills and any wage loss you may accrue as a result of your recent accident.

PIP is a good resource to turn to if you’ve been injured and cannot work. PIP will cover some of your wage loss, normally 70 percent, at a maximum of $3000 per month. 70 percent of your income doesn’t sound like a lot, but generally speaking, this help in income is untaxed.

There is a catch though: PIP will only pay toward your wage loss if you miss 14 consecutive days of work. Insurance companies can be pretty hardball about this requirement, so if you’ve found yourself in a situation like this, it’s best to stay home and not even return to work for any reason. Make arrangements with a co-worker to drop the any items you may need off, a simple trip back to work can cost you a PIP wage loss denial. Also, make sure your time off from work can be verified by a doctor. Request a written note from your physician saying that you cannot work for 14 days or more.

Be careful if you use your sick or holiday days for your absences from work—PIP, in the end, may just pay your employer directly, instead of you. It is then your responsibility to negotitate with your employer to get the sick or holiday days put back into your account in exchange for the PIP money that you have given back to your employer.

If you’re a stay-at-home mom or dad, PIP may work for you too. If you are unable to perform normal household functions such as cooking, cleaning, or childcare as a result of your accident-related injuries, PIP will pay up to $30 per day for you to hire someone to do these tasks for you. $30 isn’t a lot, but it’s better than nothing.

PIP is a valuable resource that can make the reality of an accident-related injury a little bit easier. For more information on PIP, and other tools to help you with your Oregon personal injury case, please feel free to contact us, or read 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Personal Injury Case.

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