Your specific insurance contract will specify the time limit for filing a claim under your personal injury protection coverage. However, state law mandates that you seek medical care within 14 days of your accident to qualify for a PIP settlement. This is known as the 14-day rule, and meeting that deadline is critically important. Failure to obtain a medical evaluation concerning your motor vehicle accident within two weeks of the accident disqualifies you from PIP coverage.
The 14-day rule is meant to ensure that medical treatment is associated with a car accident and not some other source of injury not covered by an auto policy. Additionally, from the point of view of an insurance company, timely medical care could reduce long-term costs associated with your recovery. Someone who waits to get medical care has a greater likelihood of aggravating injuries and prolonging the recovery period.
Informing the police about your wreck presents another very pertinent deadline. Although police respond to many accidents, officers do not attend every accident. When this happens, the onus falls on the person in the car accident to inform the police. An accident report must be filed within 10 days of the crash date.