Hurt in a Michigan crash? Your PIP benefits depend on what other benefits you receive, where the crash happened, what your injury makes necessary and which insurer pays
I am Mitchell Bisson, a Grand Rapids personal injury lawyer. I have litigated for over 15 years. Big-Firm Power. Street-Level Grit. When a client receives benefits from more than one source, I keep every benefit statement next to the PIP payment log so any subtraction can be checked line by line.
Your no-fault insurer may reduce PIP benefits by benefits you receive under state or federal law. MCL 500.3109(1) subtracts them, and the Michigan Supreme Court has applied that to workers’ compensation and to Social Security disability benefits, including the share paid to a lawyer. It is not automatic for every government benefit: the other benefit has to serve the same purpose as PIP and arise from the same accident.
PIP can also cover a crash in another state. If the crash happened in the United States, its territories and possessions, or Canada, a named insured, a named insured’s spouse or a relative living in the same household is covered, and so is an occupant of a vehicle involved in the accident who meets the conditions in MCL 500.3111. Crashes elsewhere in the world fall outside that section.
No-fault can pay for the part of a van or a home that your injury makes necessary. MCL 500.3107(1)(a) covers reasonable charges for reasonably necessary products, services and accommodations for your care, recovery or rehabilitation. In Admire, the Michigan Supreme Court held the insurer owed the wheelchair modifications to a van but not the van’s base price. Home modifications use the same statute, but the cost is owed only once you have incurred it, so I ask for estimates and the insurer’s written position before a contract is signed.
The Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association does not change who you claim from. It is a nonprofit association of auto insurers that reimburses its members for very large PIP losses, so you still claim from your no-fault insurer. For policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2020, it covers only unlimited PIP medical coverage.
Common questions about Michigan no-fault PIP benefits
I receive workers' compensation or Social Security disability. Will my no-fault insurer reduce my PIP benefits?
Often, yes. MCL 500.3109(1) subtracts benefits provided or required to be provided under state or federal law from the PIP benefits otherwise payable for the injury. The Michigan Supreme Court has applied that to workers' compensation (Mathis) and to Social Security disability benefits, including the share paid to a lawyer (Popma). It is not automatic for every government benefit: the other benefit has to serve the same purpose as PIP and arise from the same accident (Jarosz).
Does my Michigan no-fault policy cover me if I am hurt in a crash in another state?
Yes, if the crash happened in the United States, its territories and possessions, or Canada, and you were a named insured, a named insured's spouse, a relative living in the same household, or an occupant of a vehicle involved in the accident. MCL 500.3111 qualifies an occupant who was a Michigan resident, or whose vehicle's owner or registrant carried PIP coverage or approved security. Crashes elsewhere in the world fall outside this section.
Will no-fault pay for a wheelchair van, a ramp, or other changes to my home after a serious injury?
It can pay for the part your injury makes necessary. MCL 500.3107(1)(a) covers reasonable charges for reasonably necessary products, services and accommodations for your care, recovery or rehabilitation. In Admire, the Michigan Supreme Court held the insurer owed the wheelchair modifications to a van but not the van's base price, an ordinary transportation expense. Home modifications use the same statute, but the cost is owed only once you have incurred it.
What is the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association, and does it change who pays my no-fault benefits?
No. The MCCA is a nonprofit association of auto insurers that reimburses its members for very large PIP losses, so you still claim from your no-fault insurer. Under MCL 500.3104(2), it reimburses 100 percent of a member's ultimate loss above a per-accident threshold, which was $580,000 for policies issued or renewed from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021 and is adjusted every two years. For policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2020, it covers only unlimited PIP medical coverage.
For short answers with the statute or court rule behind each one, see my Michigan FAQs on no-fault PIP benefits (5 answers).
Talk to me about Michigan no-fault PIP benefits
Law Offices of Mitchell S. Bisson, 2828 Kraft Ave SE, Suite 295, Grand Rapids, MI 49512, serving Kent County and West Michigan. Your Rights, My Fight!
Contact me 24/7 by text on WhatsApp. Hurt in a crash and facing a no-fault insurer in Kent County? Call for a free initial consultation: (616) 213-3327 | MBisson@BissonLegal.com
Related Michigan pages
For the injury practice as a whole, see my Grand Rapids personal injury lawyer page. For claims against the at-fault driver, see my Grand Rapids car accident lawyer page, and for commercial vehicle crashes, see my Grand Rapids truck accident lawyer page. The time limit for most injury claims is covered in my post on the personal injury statute of limitations in Michigan. For a wider look at my litigation practice, see my Grand Rapids civil litigation attorney page. If a judgment goes against you, see my Michigan appeals lawyer page, and for short answers, see my Michigan legal FAQs. My practice also includes civil rights and real estate.
This page provides general information about Michigan law and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws change and every case turns on its own facts. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.