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Senate Moves PIP Reform Ahead

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Florida Legislature's latest try to fix the broken no-fault car insurance market unanimously passed a measure that backers say could reduce personal injury protection insurance by upwards of $125 million a year.

The bill looks to reduce fraud, more closely regulating providers, and limit the forms of treatment available to victims following a crash.

The Senate version passed Thursday is more focused than a similar House bill, according to the News Service of Florida.

PIP was created in the 1970's to give victims of car accidents some medical assistance regardless of who caused the crash.

The system would pay up to $10,000, but quickly became full of scam artists, organized crimes and other nefarious elements.

The Senate bill will make accident victims fill out more detailed crash reports and give police the ability to attend hearings or submit affidavits to augment the crash report and require treatment to be conducted at licensed clinics.

The Senate version doesn't cap attorney fees, which the House version of the bill does.

The Senate bill also allows victims to continue seeing their private physicians, rather than seek treatment within 72 hours in a hospital emergency room.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA contributed to this report.)

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