How much does PIP actually pay?

The $10,000 figure is a limit, not an amount, and several things reduce what's actually paid.

The 80/60 structure. PIP pays 80 percent of reasonable and medically necessary medical expenses and 60 percent of lost gross income. The remainder is yours unless another source covers it.

The $2,500 cap. Without an emergency medical condition determination from a qualifying provider, medical benefits cap at $2,500 rather than $10,000. That's the single largest reduction and the one people don't anticipate.

The combined limit. Medical and wage benefits share the same $10,000, so wage loss consumes what would otherwise go to treatment.

Deductibles apply where elected, and many people elect one without realizing it applies here.

What this means in practice. A moderately injured person with an EMC determination exhausts $10,000 quickly — imaging alone can consume a substantial portion. That's why what happens after PIP runs out matters so much.