Health insurance will cover car accident bills for medical treatment if you have coordinated No-Fault insurance. Health insurance will also cover medical bills exceeding your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage.
Below, you can learn about health and auto insurance in Michigan and how you can recover compensation after a motor vehicle accident.
What Type of Auto Insurance Pays for Accident-Related Medical Costs?
Michigan is a No-Fault insurance state. Under this system, all motorists must have personal injury protection (PIP) insurance that pays for the insured’s medical expenses after a crash, no matter who caused it. However, you can use your health insurance to cover car accident bills in the following circumstances:
- You have “coordinated” coverage. You can select “coordinated” No-Fault insurance coverage in exchange for lower PIP premiums. With this policy, you first turn to your health insurance provider for medical expenses. Your PIP insurance will only pay once you exhaust your health care policy’s limits. Before choosing to coordinate, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services advises consumers to ensure their health insurance covers car accident bills, as not all policies do.
- Your costs exceed your PIP. Recent changes to Michigan’s No-Fault insurance laws let consumers decide how much PIP they want to buy. The most expensive policies provide unlimited medical compensation, while less expensive policies allow you to select coverage limits of $500,000, $250,000, or $50,000 (if you receive Medicaid). Once you reach your policy’s limit, your health insurance will cover car accident medical bills. In the case of insurance that Medicaid and Medicare, these policies will pay out only after an accident victim exhausts other coverages.
In addition to medical expenses, No-Fault insurance pays for lost income, replacement services for up to three years, and funeral and burial expenses in a fatal collision. No-Fault coverage does not compensate for pain and suffering.
What If You Do Not Have Health Insurance?
If you were in a car crash and do not have health insurance or No-Fault coverage, you can seek medical benefits under the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan (MACP).
You must file a claim with the MACP. If eligible, it will match you with one of six participating PIP providers that will pay for your medical care, recovery, and rehabilitation on behalf of the MACP.
Can You Seek Personal Injury Damages After a Car Accident?
Michigan’s No-Fault system aims to reduce the number of car accident lawsuits. However, you can seek compensation from an at-fault driver if your severe injuries and medical expenses exceed your PIP coverage. You may also be able to seek the cost of alternative treatments not usually paid for by PIP or health insurance.
In addition to medical damages, a lawyer with our firm can pursue the following losses with a liability insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit:
- Lost income. No-Fault insurance provides some compensation for lost income, but it is usually not 100 percent of your lost income. With a personal injury case, we can secure all your back pay, lost earnings, and employment benefits.
- Lost earning capacity. If you have a severe or disabling injury, you may need wage compensation for longer than three years. We can seek awards for your future lost income and the loss of your earning capabilities.
- Miscellaneous expenses. No-Fault insurance pays for replacement services, but you may have other compensable accident-related costs, such as rental car fees, medical travel expenses, and medically necessary home and vehicle modifications.
- Pain and suffering. Pain and suffering awards, also called non-economic damages, compensate for intangible losses. We can seek damages for depression, stress, anxiety, mental anguish, physical pain, loss of mobility, scarring, disfigurement, inconvenience, and impaired quality of life.
- Wrongful death. If your loved one suffered a fatal car accident injury, we can help their personal representative (executor) seek compensation on behalf of qualifying survivors. Awards may include medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, lost income, the deceased’s conscious pain and suffering, and loss of your loved one’s support, care, and companionship.
How Long Do You Have to Recover Your Car Accident Bills?
You should file car crash-related insurance claims related as soon as possible after the accident. If you must take legal action to recover damages, you have one year to sue for No-Fault insurance benefits under Michigan Compiled Laws § 500.3145.
According to Michigan Compiled Laws § 600.5805, you have three years to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. If you do not act within the statute of limitations deadline, the court will likely dismiss your case.
Do You Need a Michigan Car Accident Lawyer?
You do not have to hire a car accident lawyer to handle your insurance claims. However, working with our firm’s attorneys will ensure you have a legal advocate with experience who can navigate Michigan’s insurance system and get the most for your damages.
We will protect your rights if the insurers don’t pay your full and fair compensation. We can:
- Investigate your car accident to find out what happened
- Collect evidence that supports your account of events
- Identify liable parties and prove how they were negligent
- Establish your right to seek personal injury damages
- Calculate your economic and non-economic losses
- Prove a negligent party caused the crash
- Prepare and file your insurance claims
- Communicate with involved parties on your behalf
- Challenge lowball offers, undue pressure to settle, and bad-faith insurance tactics
- Personalize your case according to your needs
- Answer your questions and provide you with regular updates
- Represent you at trial if we cannot settle your case
Call Christensen Law for Help With a Car Accident Health Insurance Claim
Christensen Law has decades of legal experience we can put behind getting coverage for your car accident bills. We offer free consultations and serve clients on contingency, meaning it will cost you nothing up front or out of pocket to work with our firm.
We assist with all types of motor vehicle accident cases, including car crashes, truck accidents, and motorcycle collisions. Contact us online today or call 248-900-9000 to connect with a lawyer near you. Help is available 24/7.
