Personal injury protection, or PIP, is the core of Michigan’s no-fault system. It is paid by the insurer that is first in line under the priority rules, which is usually your own. You do not have to prove the other driver was careless to collect it.
Your next three steps
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Apply in writing
Send the insurer’s application for benefits. Written notice is due within one year of the crash unless the insurer has already paid.
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Find the insurer first in line
Usually a policy in your household; sometimes an employer’s, the vehicle’s insurer, or the Assigned Claims Plan.
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Keep sending proof
Bills, wage forms, and household help and care logs, every month. Benefits are overdue 30 days after the insurer gets reasonable proof.
The same benefits, in one table
| Benefit | What it pays | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Allowable expenses | Medical care, rehabilitation, medication, equipment, home and vehicle modifications, medical mileage | The PIP medical limit on the policy |
| Work loss | 85% of gross income you would have earned | $7,455 per 30 days for accidents from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027; three years from the crash |
| Attendant care | Care and supervision you need because of your injuries | Family or household care at home: 56 hours per week for most claims |
| Replacement services | Chores you can no longer do: cleaning, yard work, shopping, driving | $20 a day; three years |
| Survivors’ loss | Lost support for dependents after a death | Same monthly cap as work loss; three years |
| Funeral and burial | Funeral and burial expenses | $1,750 to $5,000 |
Sources: MCL 500.3107 and 500.3108; DIFS Bulletin 2026-20-INS. Figures reviewed October 22, 2026.
Your PIP medical limit matters
Since July 2, 2020, Michigan drivers choose a PIP medical limit when they buy or renew a policy. The choices are unlimited, $500,000, $250,000, $250,000 with some household members excluded, $50,000 for people enrolled in Medicaid, or an opt-out for people with Medicare Parts A and B. The limit applies per person, per crash.
If your care costs more than your limit, PIP stops paying. You can then pursue the excess from the at-fault driver, and your health insurance may also apply. That is why the limit on your policy, and whether it was validly selected, is one of the first things we check.
Deadlines that matter most
One year. You must give your no-fault insurer written notice of your injury within one year of the crash, unless it has already paid benefits. After that, you can generally recover only expenses incurred in the year before a lawsuit is filed, although a claim that is pending with the insurer pauses that clock until it is formally denied.
Use the deadline calculator to see the dates that apply to your crash.
When PIP is late or denied
Benefits are overdue if they are not paid within 30 days after the insurer receives reasonable proof of the loss. Overdue benefits carry 12% interest a year under MCL 500.3142. If the insurer unreasonably refused or delayed payment, the court can order it to pay your attorney fees under MCL 500.3148. The denial guide walks through the common reasons and the records that answer them.
What to have ready
None of this is required to call. Bring what you have; we can get the rest.
- The crash date, place and police report number
- Every auto policy in your household, and its declarations page
- Your PIP claim number and adjuster’s name
- Bills, and any insurer letter that denied or reduced a payment
- Pay stubs or tax returns if you’ve missed work
- A list of the people helping you at home, and the hours
What no-fault does not cover
- Pain and suffering. That comes from a claim against the at-fault driver, if your injury meets the threshold. See suing the at-fault driver.
- Damage to your car. That is collision coverage, or a mini-tort claim of up to $3,000.
- Treatment that is not related to the crash or not reasonably necessary, which is where most medical disputes start.
The complete no-fault library
- PIP medical benefits and coverage limitsWhat allowable expenses cover and how the 2020 coverage levels work.
- Wage loss benefits85% of gross pay for up to three years, and the cap for your crash date.
- Attendant carePaid care at home, the 56-hour family cap, and who is exempt.
- Replacement servicesUp to $20 a day for household chores you can no longer do.
- Medical mileage and travelGetting paid for trips to doctors, therapy and pharmacies.
- Survivors’ loss and funeral benefitsWhat dependents receive after a fatal crash.
- All other no-fault benefitsA short tour of the smaller benefits people forget to claim.
- Which insurer paysThe priority rules that decide whose policy pays your claim.
- Michigan Assigned Claims Plan (MACP)Benefits when no auto policy applies, and the $250,000 limit.
- Michigan Catastrophic Claims AssociationHow the MCCA backs unlimited PIP claims above the retention.
- Choosing a PIP coverage levelWhat each coverage choice means if you are ever hurt.
- The 2019 no-fault reformEvery major change, and which crashes it applies to.
- Health insurance, Medicare and PIPWho pays first when you have health coverage too.
- If you were uninsuredWhen an uninsured owner or driver is barred from PIP, and the exceptions.
- Out-of-state drivers hurt in MichiganWhat visitors can claim and the 50% fault rule.
- Benefits denied or cut offWhat to do when the insurer stops paying.
- Insurer medical examsHow insurer-paid exams are used to cut benefits, and how to prepare.
- Recorded statements and examinations under oathWhat the insurer can ask, and what to do before you answer.
- Fraud claims and policy rescissionWhen an insurer tries to void your policy.
- How a no-fault lawsuit worksFrom filing to verdict, with interest and attorney fees.
- Assigned Claims Plan eligibility checkerWhether the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan is likely where to apply, and by when. For injured people and providers.
- Deadline calculatorEnter your crash date to see every deadline.
- No-fault formsThe application, wage, household help and care forms, explained.
- No-fault case law trackerEvery significant Michigan no-fault decision since 2023, in plain English.
- Michigan car insurance lawsThe coverage Michigan law requires, what is optional, and the penalty for being uninsured.
- The Michigan mini tortUp to $3,000 of your own car damage from an at-fault driver: who qualifies and how to file.
- Property protection insuranceDamage to buildings, fences and parked cars, up to $1 million.
- Does insurance follow the vehicle or the person?Which coverage follows you and which follows the vehicle.
- PLPD insuranceWhat a minimum Michigan policy covers after a crash.
Questions people ask us
Is Michigan a no-fault state?
Yes. After a Michigan car accident, your own auto insurer (or a relative’s you live with) pays your medical care, lost wages and household help, regardless of fault. You can still sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering if the injury meets Michigan’s threshold, and for losses above what no-fault pays. Since the 2019 reform, drivers choose how much PIP medical coverage they buy, so what you receive depends on your policy.
Does no-fault pay if the crash was my fault?
Yes. PIP benefits are paid regardless of fault. Fault matters for a claim against the other driver, not for your own no-fault benefits.
What if I did not choose a PIP limit?
If no valid selection was made, coverage is generally unlimited, unless the premium you paid shows a different level was chosen. Insurers dispute this often, so ask for a copy of your signed selection form.
Does PIP pay for my car?
No. Vehicle damage is covered by collision coverage or, for up to $3,000, a mini-tort claim against the at-fault driver.
Can an insurer cancel my benefits after one of its doctors examines me?
Insurers often stop paying after an insurer medical exam. That decision can be challenged, and benefits that were wrongly denied carry 12% interest once overdue.
