Sam is an owner and not insured for PIP. Sam borrows Fred's car, which is insured for PIP. Sam has an at-fault accident when he strikes Betty's car. Betty is insured for PIP. As a result of Sam's negligence, Betty is injured and has $5,000 in medical bills. Which of the following is true?

Sam is an owner and not insured for PIP. Sam borrows Fred's car, which is insured for PIP. Sam has an at-fault accident when he strikes Betty's car. Betty is insured for PIP. As a result of Sam's negligence, Betty is injured and has $5,000 in medical bills. Which of the following is true?

• A. Sam does not have Tort Exemption
• B. Betty may sue Sam and Fred for $5,000
• C. Betty must use her own PIP to pay her medical bills
• D. Sam may recover any damages from Fred's PIP

Answer: (C)

In Florida, auto accident medical expenses are paid first by PIP, a no-fault coverage. The person who injured and the vehicle involved determine which PIP policy pays, but the rule is clear: you must rely on your own PIP for medical bills if you have it, regardless of fault. Here, Betty is the occupant of her own insured vehicle and carries PIP. Her medical bills amount to $5,000, so those expenses are paid by her own PIP up to her policy limit. The fact that Sam is at fault and that Fred’s car has PIP does not shift Betty’s medical payments to those policies because she wasn’t occupying Fred’s car when injured, and Betty’s own PIP is the first source for her medical costs. So the correct statement is that Betty must use her own PIP to pay her medical bills. The other options don’t fit because PIP is the primary payer for medical expenses in an auto crash, and PIP coverage generally does not reimburse damages to others or cover someone else’s liability—those issues would be handled through liability coverage or other rights after PIP payments.

In Florida, auto accident medical expenses are paid first by PIP, a no-fault coverage. The person who injured and the vehicle involved determine which PIP policy pays, but the rule is clear: you must rely on your own PIP for medical bills if you have it, regardless of fault. Here, Betty is the occupant of her own insured vehicle and carries PIP. Her medical bills amount to $5,000, so those expenses are paid by her own PIP up to her policy limit. The fact that Sam is at fault and that Fred’s car has PIP does not shift Betty’s medical payments to those policies because she wasn’t occupying Fred’s car when injured, and Betty’s own PIP is the first source for her medical costs.

So the correct statement is that Betty must use her own PIP to pay her medical bills. The other options don’t fit because PIP is the primary payer for medical expenses in an auto crash, and PIP coverage generally does not reimburse damages to others or cover someone else’s liability—those issues would be handled through liability coverage or other rights after PIP payments.