Casualty and liability
Personal injury protection
Personal injury protection pays medical expenses and a portion of lost income and replacement services after a covered auto accident, without regard to fault.
Reviewed September 2026 · Exam outline effective September 1, 2026
In plain English
Personal injury protection is broader than medical payments because it reaches beyond medical bills. Lost earnings and the cost of services the injured person can no longer perform are commonly included.
Like medical payments, it operates without a fault determination, which speeds the response. The scope of what is payable and the way it interacts with other coverage is set by the policy and applicable rules.
Why the exam tests it
Classification questions rely on this distinction, and candidates who blur it with medical payments lose reliable points.
The trap
Assuming the two coverages are the same. Personal injury protection typically includes wage loss and replacement services, while medical payments generally does not.
Worked example
An injured insured incurs medical treatment and misses several weeks of work. Personal injury protection can respond to both the treatment and a portion of the lost income, where medical payments would address only the medical expense.
Full course
Study this with the complete Texas All-Lines course
This concept is covered in depth in the "Personal, Commercial Auto & Uninsured Motorists" lesson, alongside every other topic on the content outline.
Related terms
- Medical payments coverageMedical payments coverage pays reasonable medical expenses from a covered accident without regard to fault, generally up to a modest stated limit.
- Bodily injuryBodily injury is physical harm to a person, including sickness or disease and, where the policy so provides, death resulting from that harm.
- Liability limitsLiability limits cap what an insurer pays for covered liability, expressed either as split limits for each person and each accident or as a single combined limit for all covered damages.
Exam topics using this term
Sources
- Pearson VUE — Texas Department of Insurance licensing exams
Scheduling, candidate handbook, content outlines, test-center rules, and application timing. Reviewed 2026-07-21.
Requirements, fees, forms, exam details, and deadlines can change. Verify the current rule with the linked authority before scheduling, applying, renewing, or handling a real claim.
For exams on or after September 1, 2026. If your exam is scheduled earlier, use the outline that applies to your exam date. Texas Exam Academy is independent exam preparation and is not affiliated with or approved by the Texas Department of Insurance or Pearson VUE. Verify current eligibility, fees, forms, and requirements with the responsible authority.