PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection. It is the type of insurance we all are expected to have in Florida to cover auto accidents and pay for medical expenses, lost wages and a death benefit, no matter who is at fault.
But is PIP a cause to celebrate? Organizers of a monthly social mixer in Fort Lauderdale think so. Its advertisements for “PIP Thursdays” feature a woman dressed in cocktail dress ready to party next to the scene of an auto accident. The party is held at the Fort Lauderdale Blue Martini Lounge. Two orthopedic surgeons sponsor the event.
Not everyone is ready to party.
The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud is among them. The group has brought the ad to the attention of the Insurance Consumer Advocate’s round table last week on Personal Injury Protection fraud.
Dennis Jay, executive director of the anti-fraud coalition, said the ad suggests that accidents are a reason to celebrate, reports the Sun-Sentinel newspaper.
Florida is in the process of beefing up laws that fight PIP fraud. With an easy $10,000 to be gained from auto accidents, some scammers have faked accidents and bring in medical clinics as part of the insurance fraud.
Dennis Jay’s group is proposing that medical clinics have their licenses renewed periodically to check for insurance fraud and giving the state the ability to revoke licenses and accreditation of medical providers who are convicted of insurance fraud. The state needs more prosecutors to investigate insurance fraud as well, says Jay.
If you have questions about your PIP coverage or suspect you may have been the victim of a staged auto accident in Florida, call Farah & Farah to discuss the specifics of your case.
