Northwest Injury Clinics we specialize in treating and rehabbing people injured in car accidents.
We incorporate soft tissue mobilization (ART, Graston) and joint manipulation to help restore function and reduce pain after an injury.
Between hospital bills, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and physical therapy treatment can become expensive.
Luckily, Washington State mandates that individuals carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP).
PIP covers many things including medical expenses, lost wages, and can help cover other essential services like housecleaning, laundry, and yard work in the event that someone becomes too injured to perform them on their own as a result of another’s negligence. Even More, PIP covers their insured whether they are at fault or not.
A very common concern by patients is how personal injury protection affects insurance rates, and whether their insurance rates will increase if they file a PIP claim.
I have had many patients delay, or avoid treatment altogether, for fear of their insurance rates increasing.
Once again Washington State has some great laws to protect consumers from these types of predatory behaviors.
RCW 46.52.130 states the following regarding insurance rates and personal injury protection:
"(iii) Any policy of insurance may not be canceled, nonrenewed, denied, or have the rate increased on the basis of information regarding an accident included in the abstract of a driving record, unless the policyholder was determined to be at fault."
— RCW 46.52.130
The take home message from this is that no insurance company may cancel, not renew, deny, or increase their rates unless they are deemed to be at fault.
