#8 Will PIP cover my lost wages because of medical appointments?

QUESTION: Will my Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefit cover my lost wages for the time I spent getting medical treatment for my injuries from my car accident?

ANSWER: Oregon’s PIP policy does not cover lost wages for time attending medical appointments for treatment for injuries from a car accident. However, if the accident was someone else’s fault, you can claim your lost wages when it comes to settling your claim. To do so, your workplace must document any time off for treatment and keep a record of it. This information will be required by the insurance company when settling your claim.

Will my Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefit cover my lost wages for the time I spent getting medical treatment for my injuries from my car accident?

It’s an understandable question and one that we hear quite often.

Unfortunately, there is nothing in Oregon’s PIP statute that requires the PIP carrier to pay for lost wages for the time you miss from work to get treatment for the injuries from your auto accident.

While your PIP policy won’t cover your wage loss for your time away from work for treatment — if someone else is at fault for the car accident that caused your injuries, at settlement, you can recover your lost wages for time missed from work for your medical appointments.

If you work for a company or a business that doesn’t have a process for documenting time missed for work for medical appointments — it is important to be proactive and let your manager and/or the Human Resources (HR) manager know you will be out of work to receive treatment for a car accident.

You should also follow up with the manager who tracks your time to make sure that the dates and length of time you were out of the office for your appointments are well-documented.

You will also want to confirm that the information is saved someplace securely so that it can be easily accessed and shared when it comes time to settle your claim.

If you’re proactive and confirm that someone in charge is aware that you’re away from work because you’re getting treatment from a car accident — and that they’re also documenting your missed work time, when it comes time to settle your claim, you’ll be able to gather the specific information you need. This is how your lost wages can be considered in your settlement offer.

Whether you’re our client or not, we want to be a bridge of support for you.

We’ve developed a robust library of articles and videos organized into four topics which include our responses to the personal injury claim-related questions we’re asked most often.

• Top 10 Personal Injury Claim Mistakes to Avoid
• What You Need to Know About Your Claim
• How Are My Medical Bills & Wage Loss Paid
• How to Prepare for Your Independent Medical Exam

The articles provide advice and guidelines to help you navigate each phase of the personal injury claims process. Whether we represent you or not, we are passionate about helping you protect your rights, you receiving the medical care you need to recover from your injuries, and having the information you need to avoid mistakes that can harm your personal injury claim.