Personal Injury Protection
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) pays your medical bills and lost wages after an accident, regardless of who caused it.
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What Is Personal Injury Protection Insurance?
Personal Injury Protection covers your medical expenses, lost income, and sometimes funeral costs after a car accident, without requiring you to prove the other driver was at fault. PIP pays out immediately based on your policy limits, which means you can start treatment the day after the crash instead of waiting weeks or months for a liability claim to settle. In South Dakota, PIP is optional coverage you add to your policy, not a state mandate.
Who Needs Personal Injury Protection Insurance?
PIP makes sense if you have a high-deductible health insurance plan, are self-employed and cannot afford to miss income while waiting for a liability settlement, or regularly drive with passengers who do not have their own health coverage. It also benefits drivers in South Dakota's rural areas where a crash might not involve another vehicle, eliminating any liability claim to recover medical costs from.
Compare your health insurance deductible to the cost of adding PIP for one year.
How Much Does Personal Injury Protection Insurance Cost?
- Your zip code: urban areas like Sioux Falls see slightly higher PIP costs due to higher medical billing rates.
- Claims history: a prior PIP claim can raise your rate at renewal, though the impact is smaller than an at-fault liability claim.
