What PIP Covers When You're Injured
Personal Injury Protection in New York pays medical expenses, lost earnings, and other economic losses after a car accident, regardless of who caused the crash. Every auto policy in the state must include at least $50,000 of PIP coverage per person. The coverage applies to you, household members listed on your policy, passengers in your vehicle, and pedestrians struck by your car.
New York operates as a no-fault state, which means PIP is your primary source of payment for injury-related costs before you pursue a liability claim against the at-fault driver. This structure keeps initial medical bills and wage-replacement payments moving quickly without waiting for fault determination or settlement negotiation.
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Get Your Free QuoteNew York Minimum PIP
$50,000
New York law requires every auto policy to carry at least $50,000 of Personal Injury Protection coverage per person. This limit applies separately to each injured person covered under the policy.
New York State Department of Financial Services
Medical Expenses and Wage Replacement
PIP pays reasonable and necessary medical expenses incurred within the coverage period following the accident. This includes hospital bills, physician fees, diagnostic tests, physical therapy, prescription medications, and medical equipment.
The $50,000 per-person limit is a combined cap across all these categories. Once your medical bills, wage replacement, essential services, and other covered costs reach $50,000, PIP stops paying. Higher limits are available for purchase if you want additional protection, and many households with multiple vehicles choose increased PIP limits to avoid exhausting coverage after a serious injury.
The $50,000 PIP limit applies per injured person, not per accident. If three people in your car are injured, each has access to their own $50,000 limit.
Who PIP Covers on a Multi-Vehicle Policy
Named insureds and resident relatives listed on the policy receive PIP coverage whether they're driving one of the insured vehicles, riding as a passenger in any car, or injured as a pedestrian. This means your spouse, your teenage driver, and any other household member on the policy are covered under your PIP limits even if they're injured while driving someone else's car or walking across a parking lot.
Passengers riding in any of your insured vehicles at the time of the accident are also covered by your PIP, regardless of whether they live in your household or appear on your policy declarations page. If a friend, coworker, or extended family member is injured while riding in your car, your PIP pays their medical bills and wage losses up to the per-person limit. Pedestrians struck by one of your insured vehicles receive PIP benefits as well, drawing from your policy's coverage.
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How PIP Interacts with Health Insurance
New York PIP is primary coverage, meaning it pays before your health insurance processes claims for accident-related injuries. Your health insurer cannot require you to exhaust PIP benefits before covering medical treatment, but PIP must be billed first. This coordination prevents double payment and ensures that your auto policy's injury coverage serves its intended role as the first layer of financial protection after a crash.
If your medical expenses exceed your PIP limit, your health insurance picks up the remaining costs according to your plan's terms.
Some health plans include subrogation clauses that allow the insurer to recover payments from a liability settlement if another driver caused the accident. PIP does not subrogate in New York; it pays your injury costs regardless of fault and does not pursue reimbursement from the at-fault party. This keeps your initial recovery process simpler and faster than a traditional liability claim.
New York Uninsured Motorist Rate
8.6%
Approximately 8.6% of New York drivers operate without insurance. When an uninsured driver causes a crash, your PIP still pays your injury costs immediately, and you can pursue additional damages through uninsured motorist coverage if your injuries meet the state's serious injury threshold.
Insurance Research Council, 2023
Serious Injury Threshold and Liability Claims
New York's no-fault system limits your ability to sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering unless your injuries meet the state's serious injury threshold. This threshold includes permanent loss of use of a body organ or function, permanent consequential limitation, significant limitation of use of a body function or system, a medically determined injury that prevents you from performing substantially all daily activities for at least 90 days during the 180 days following the accident, or specific categories like dismemberment, significant disfigurement, fracture, or death.
If your injuries meet this threshold, you can step outside the no-fault system and file a liability claim or lawsuit against the at-fault driver for non-economic damages. PIP continues to pay your medical bills and wage losses up to your policy limit while the liability claim proceeds. This dual-track structure means PIP provides immediate financial support while preserving your right to pursue additional compensation for serious, life-altering injuries.
Compare Carriers and PIP Limits
Every carrier writing auto insurance in New York offers the mandatory $50,000 PIP minimum, but limit options, optional coverage enhancements, and how quickly each carrier processes PIP claims vary.
When you're structuring coverage for two or more cars, confirm that each vehicle on the policy carries the same PIP limit and that all household drivers understand how the per-person cap works. A serious multi-vehicle accident can generate injury claims from several people simultaneously, and knowing that each injured person has access to their own limit prevents confusion during the claims process. Use New York Car Insurance Requirements' comparison tool to see which carriers offer the PIP limits and claims service that fit your household's needs.