You have 14 days. Here is what that means, in $10,000 and $2,500.

Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, is the no-fault insurance coverage every Florida driver must carry, and it is the first payer for your medical care after a crash. Its rules are in section 627.736, Florida Statutes. Three numbers in that section decide almost everything: 14 days, $10,000 and $2,500. This is general information, not legal advice.

14 days: the deadline

PIP benefits apply only if you receive initial treatment within 14 days of the accident. Initial treatment means services from a hospital, an emergency transport provider, a physician, an osteopath, a dentist or a chiropractic physician, or from a facility one of them supervises. An ER visit counts. An exam at this office counts. Feeling fine for two weeks and then calling does not, and the benefit is gone for that crash.

The rule punishes the most common behavior after a collision, which is waiting to see. Whiplash and soft-tissue injuries typically peak two to three days after impact. By the time the neck locks up, a person who declined care at the scene has used up a fifth of the window.

$10,000: the benefit

PIP pays 80% of reasonable medical expenses and 60% of lost wages, up to a combined $10,000, less your policy deductible. That full amount is available only when a qualified provider has determined that you had an emergency medical condition.

$2,500: the cap without an EMC

Without an emergency medical condition determination, medical benefits are limited to $2,500. The statute allows that determination to be made by a physician (MD), an osteopathic physician (DO), a physician assistant or an advanced practice registered nurse. A chiropractic physician cannot make it.

What this office does about the EMC

Dr. McNamara-Krauss does not make emergency medical condition determinations, and this office does not claim to. When the examination shows findings that suggest one is warranted, the patient is referred to an MD, DO, PA or APRN who can make the determination, and Janelle Deal coordinates that referral alongside the treatment here. The result is that the full $10,000 stays available for care that would otherwise stop at $2,500, and the referral is documented in the record like everything else.

How the timeline usually runs

Day	What typically happens	What to do
0	Crash. Adrenaline masks pain. Many people decline transport.	Call (754) 342-6479 the same day; the line is answered 24/7.
1 to 3	Stiffness, headache, back pain appear. Whiplash peaks.	Examination and first treatment. The record now exists.
4 to 13	Adjuster contact. Symptoms settle or radiate.	Continue care. EMC referral if warranted. Tell the coordinator about your attorney.
14	PIP window closes for anyone not yet treated.	Nothing, if you were seen. Everything, if you were not.

Chiropractic care and PIP

Chiropractic care is covered under PIP. The examination, adjustments, spinal decompression, laser, shockwave, ultrasound, electrical stimulation and massage therapy provided here are billed to your PIP carrier when treatment began inside the window. Janelle Deal, who has 30 years of experience in Florida PIP claims, handles the paperwork and explains your specific coverage, including any deductible, before treatment starts.

What this page is not

This is a medical office explaining a statute it works under every day. It is not a law office. Deadlines for a claim against another driver, disputes with your carrier, wage-loss documentation and settlement questions belong with a personal injury attorney. If you do not have one and want one, say so at the first call; the coordinator works with firms across Broward and Palm Beach counties.