Michigan Injury Lawyer BlogMichigan Reaches Settlement to Protect Accident Victims
Following Michigan’s historical auto insurance reform, many consumers faced uncertainty about their coverage limits. If someone suffers injuries in a Michigan auto accident, the state’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) medical coverage pays for the medical care, recovery, and rehabilitative treatment. Before the change, Michigan Assigned Claims Plan (MACP) provided coverage to uninsured non-motorists, like bystanders, pedestrians, and passengers. The new insurance laws cap coverage at $250,000 for claims commencing July 2, 2020. However, uncertainty prevailed among uninsured non-motorists who suffered injuries between the law’s enactment on June 11, 2019, and the effective date of July 2, 2020.
Citing consumer protection concerns, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) issued an order that required MACP to provide unlimited PIP medical coverage to those who suffered injuries before the July 2020 effective date. According to a recent report, the agency that administers the MACP filed a lawsuit asking the Court to overturn the order. After the Court ruled to uphold the order, the The Michigan Automobile Insurance Placement Facility (MAIPF) filed an appeal. However, the appeal was dropped after DIFS reached a settlement that allows unlimited PIP coverage for uninsured vehicle occupants and pedestrians who suffered injuries before the July 2020 implementation. The DIFS director explained that a premature implementation could have seriously affected the livelihood of many Michiganders.
Under the new PIP coverage options, drivers must choose the coverage that pays for medical care if they are in an accident. In return, the law requires insurance companies to reduce the PIP medical portion of premiums based on the policyholder’s choice. There are six levels available, including unlimited coverage, up to $500,00 in coverage, up to $250,000 in coverage, up to $250,000 in coverage with PIP medical exclusions, up to $50,000 in coverage, and PIP medical opt-out.
As Michigan’s auto insurance laws take effect, many accident victims are already facing the consequences of the drastic changes. The new rules are Part II of the state’s auto insurance overhaul. The first facet of the changes took place last year and provided Michigan drivers with an option of how much no-fault medical coverage they must purchase with their auto insurance policy. Before the overhaul, the law required Michigan motorists to purchase unlimited, lifetime coverage.
Pedestrian and road intersections are critical to connecting people who are traveling from one route to another. However, the area where roads and paths intersect often creates dangerous points. A recent list reports that out of Michigan’s 20 most dangerous intersections, nearly 75% of them are in Detroit. A significant number of Michigan accidents occur at these intersections. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) explained that enhancing intersection safety is one of the best ways to prevent serious and fatal accidents.
The state supreme court recently issued a 
As the name implies, multi-vehicle accidents occur when more than two vehicles are involved in a collision. Chain-reaction refers to the manner in which many multi-vehicle accidents begin. Michigan chain-reaction accidents usually start with one collision whose force causes other vehicles to slam into one another. These accidents frequently occur in areas where vehicles are close to each other, such as densely occupied highways, narrow roads, or traffic stops. After a Michigan chain-reaction accident, establishing fault and liability presents many challenges to injury victims, as it can be hard to determine the exact course of events that lead to the accident. Further, in some cases, more than one party may be responsible for the accident.
Losing a loved one is often one of the most painful things that one has to experience in life. Knowing that your loved one’s life was cut short, however, because of another person’s recklessness or lack of care is even worse. When a preventable accident causes the death of a loved one, those who are responsible must be held accountable—and you may have grounds to do so through a wrongful death claim.
Car accidents frequently occur in the most unexpected ways and can yield devastating results. When an accident results in the death of a loved one and was potentially caused by negligence or wrongdoing of another driver, those who are responsible must be held accountable. In Michigan, you may be eligible for compensation through a wrongful death claim if you lost a loved one in a Michigan car accident.
There have been many technological advancements in the motor vehicle industry, especially those involving self-driving vehicles. Autonomous vehicles, such as the self-driving Tesla, presents consumers with economic shifts and industrial changes. Although there are positive environmental and societal impacts of the state’s early adoption of these innovations, these vehicles pose many dangers to Michigan motorists. Those who suffer injuries in a Michigan accident involving a self-driving vehicle should consult an attorney to address their right to recovery.
Michigan recently underwent drastic changes to its 
Motor vehicle accidents (“MVAs”) are extremely dangerous. An average mid-sized sedan weighs about one-and-a-half tons. Even when moving at relatively low rate of speed, the force of a one-ton collision is enormous. A head on collision is far worse. If a vehicle going 47 mph strikes another vehicle traveling 64 mph, the collision is of a similar magnitude to a vehicle traveling at 111 mph ramming into a concrete barrier. Modern safety features have dramatically reduced the risk of injury in a MVA, but there is little technological innovation can do to offset the impact of a high-speed head-on collision.