Think of it like using your own toolbox first after something goes wrong on the job: before pointing fingers, you turn to your own gear to handle the immediate problem. A no-fault insurance state works in a similar way after a car crash. Each driver's own auto insurer pays certain losses - usually medical bills and lost wages - up to policy limits, no matter who caused the wreck. That first layer of coverage is often called personal injury protection or PIP. In many no-fault states, an injured person can only sue the other driver if the injuries meet a legal threshold, such as a serious injury standard or a set dollar amount.

Practically, that rule changes what people should do after a crash. You still report the collision, get medical care fast, and document everything, but your first claim may go to your own carrier instead of the at-fault driver's insurer. That can speed up payment for treatment, but it can also limit when a lawsuit for pain and suffering is allowed.

For a Delaware driver, the key point is that Delaware is not a true no-fault insurance state, even though it requires PIP benefits under 21 Del. C. § 2118. After a high-speed crash on SR-1, for example, an injured person may use PIP for immediate bills and still pursue an injury claim against the at-fault driver without meeting the kind of strict no-fault lawsuit threshold used in other states.