Michigan Assigned Claims Plan – Car Accidents Without Insurance
Can I receive no-fault benefits if I don’t have a no-fault policy and the other car was uninsured?
While purchasing uninsured motorist coverage is optional, it’s something our attorneys highly recommend. Uninsured motorist coverage takes care of people injured in Michigan auto accidents with vehicles that aren’t covered by a no-fault auto insurance policy. Typically, the injured person first turns to their own auto insurance policy for the payment of no-fault benefits. However, there are instances when they would file a claim against the other driver’s policy.
But what happens when there isn’t another policy? What happens when there’s a car accident with no insurance provider to turn to at all? With roughly 21% of Michigan motorists driving uninsured, this happens more often than you’d think. This is where the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan steps in.
Update: Auto No-Fault Reform Has Changed the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan
With Michigan’s auto no-fault law experiencing significant changes in 2019, the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan, and how to handle those who are in a car accident without insurance, has significantly change. Tom Sinas, Grand Rapids auto accident lawyer, explains more.
Since the 2019 overhaul, a much larger number of people have been forced into the Assigned Claims Plan. In the past, if a person without no-fault insurance was in a crash as a passenger, they could turn to the driver of the vehicle they were riding in and obtain no-fault benefits through that driver’s own auto no-fault policy. Since the 2019 changes that is no longer the case. Now, people in this type of situation must turn to the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan. In addition, for the first time in Michigan history, the Assigned Claims Plan is limited by the no-fault overhaul to providing only $250,000 coverage for medical care. Many uninsured, injured people will turn to the Assigned Claims Plan only to find capped no-fault benefits which will often be woefully insufficient.
Furthermore, under the 2019 law, the injured party can now sue the at-fault driver of their accident for excess medical expenses not covered by the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan.