Payments that stop are more than a paperwork problem. Rent, appointments, the person helping at home: each depends on a check that no longer comes. The steps below are the same ones we would take first if you called.
What does your letter say?
Choose the reason closest to the one in the insurer’s letter. You don’t need to upload anything; nothing you choose is saved.
A doctor the insurer chose says I’m better, or that it isn’t from the crash
What it generally means
The insurer sent you to an insurer medical exam (often called an IME) and is relying on that one report to stop paying for treatment, wages or care. The report is an opinion. Your own doctors’ records can say otherwise.
Records to keep
- The exam report (ask the insurer for a copy)
- Your treating doctors’ notes and any letter disagreeing with the report
- A note of the exam date, how long it actually lasted, and who was in the room
- Bills and services that went unpaid after the date of the letter
What an attorney would review
Whether the treatment is reasonably necessary and related to the crash, how the exam report compares with your treating records, and which unpaid bills are still inside the one-year window.
Ask about a denial like thisFree review. You don’t need to send the letter yet.
They say another insurer should pay
What it generally means
Michigan has priority rules that decide whose policy pays first: usually yours, your spouse’s, or a relative’s you live with. When insurers disagree, each may point at the other while nothing gets paid.
Records to keep
- Every auto policy in your household, with declarations pages
- Proof of where you lived on the crash date
- Who owned and insured the vehicle you were in
- Each letter you received, and the dates you notified each insurer
What an attorney would review
Which insurer is first in line under MCL 500.3114 and 500.3115, whether the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan applies, and whether every possible insurer received written notice within one year.
Ask about a denial like thisFree review. You don’t need to send the letter yet.
They paid, but less than I expected
What it generally means
Wage loss, attendant care and household help each have their own formulas and limits. A low payment can come from a missing pay record, a cap for your crash date, or a reduced care rate or number of hours.
Records to keep
- Pay stubs, W-2s or tax returns for the year before the crash
- Your employer’s wage verification form
- Attendant care or household help logs, and the doctor’s written prescription for care
- The insurer’s payment explanations
What an attorney would review
How the benefit was calculated against the rules for your crash date (85% of gross income up to the monthly cap; the family-care hour limit; up to $20 a day for household help) and what proof is missing.
Ask about a denial like thisFree review. You don’t need to send the letter yet.
They say the treatment isn’t necessary, or they cut the bill
What it generally means
Insurers review bills for medical necessity and apply Michigan’s fee schedule. Many of these disputes are between the insurer and your provider. Your provider can also bring its own claim.
Records to keep
- The explanation of benefits or denial for each bill
- Your doctor’s orders and treatment plan
- Any balance bill you received from a provider
What an attorney would review
Whether the dispute is about necessity (yours to contest) or price (often the provider’s), and whether you are being asked to pay anything you should not have to. Ask your provider before paying any balance.
Ask about a denial like thisFree review. You don’t need to send the letter yet.
They say I misrepresented something, or they’re canceling the policy
What it generally means
An insurer may claim a statement on the application or in the claim was false and try to void (rescind) the policy. Michigan courts treat rescission as a remedy that is not automatic, and the result can differ for people other than the policyholder.
Records to keep
- The rescission or fraud letter and its envelope
- Your application and any renewal paperwork
- Any premium refund check: don’t cash or deposit it before getting advice
- Everything you told the insurer, in writing or recorded
What an attorney would review
What the insurer says was misstated, whether it mattered to the insurer’s decision to issue the policy, and who else in the household is affected.
Ask about a denial like thisFree review. You don’t need to send the letter yet.
They say I was too late
What it generally means
Written notice of the injury must reach the insurer within one year of the crash, unless it already paid benefits. Separately, a lawsuit generally recovers only losses from the year before it is filed, with a pause while a claim is pending.
Records to keep
- Anything showing when the insurer first heard about the crash: claim number, emails, the application
- Records of any payment the insurer made
- Dates of each bill and each denial
What an attorney would review
Whether notice was given in time, whether a payment or a pending claim changes the timing, and which losses are still recoverable.
Ask about a denial like thisFree review. You don’t need to send the letter yet.
They haven’t paid or answered at all
What it generally means
Benefits become overdue when they aren’t paid within 30 days after the insurer receives reasonable proof of the loss. Overdue benefits carry 12% interest a year.
Records to keep
- Copies of what you sent and when (forms, bills, wage proof)
- A log of calls, with dates and names
- Any request the insurer made for more information
What an attorney would review
What proof the insurer has, when each benefit became overdue, and whether the delay was unreasonable, which can make the insurer responsible for attorney fees.
Ask about a denial like thisFree review. You don’t need to send the letter yet.
General information about Michigan no-fault claims, not advice about yours. Whether a denial can be challenged depends on the records and dates in your file.
“Insurers love to delay. They stop paying, say they’re “investigating,” and the investigation drags on for years. When I see that, I file suit. Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Your next three steps this week
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Read the letter for two facts
The reason given and the date it was sent. Keep the envelope; the date can matter for the deadline.
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Keep treating and keep the record growing
If your doctor says you need care, keep going and ask how it will be paid meanwhile. Keep sending bills, wage forms and care logs. If an insurer exam caused the denial, ask your doctor to answer it in writing.
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Get advice before you sign or speak
Don’t give a recorded statement or sign a release first. Have the letter in hand when you call; you don’t need to send it yet.
No denial yet, but the insurer has scheduled a medical exam? That exam is often what a cut-off is based on. Read how insurer medical exams work and how to prepare, and talk to us before you go.
A case in focus
A $5,000 offer became $35,000, plus $45,000 in unpaid wages
- The problem
- Disc protrusions in the neck and lower back on MRI, about six months of physical therapy and a recommendation for pain procedures. The client came to us from another firm holding a $5,000 offer, and her own insurer had not paid her lost wages.
- Before
- $5,000 from the at-fault driver’s insurer, as a full and final settlement.
- What the firm did
- Took over the case from the client’s previous firm. Gathered her complete treatment records and obtained written opinions from her treating physicians on how the injuries affect her life and the long-term restrictions they will cause.
- The evidence that mattered
- The MRI findings and her treating physicians’ written opinions on her restrictions. Neither was in the file when she came to us.
- Outcome
- $35,000 for pain and suffering, against a $50,000 policy limit, settled within a few months (August 2026). Separately, $45,000 in wage-loss benefits her own no-fault insurer had not paid.
- Keep in mind
- These were two different recoveries from two insurers: $35,000 from the at-fault driver’s insurer, and $45,000 in no-fault wage-loss benefits from her own insurer. Both are gross amounts.
Read Justin’s account of this case
Details that could identify the client are left out. Every matter turns on its own facts; this does not predict the result in another case. Amounts are gross, before fees, costs and liens.
What to have ready
None of this is required to call. Bring what you have; we can get the rest.
- The denial or cut-off letter, with its date
- Your claim number and the adjuster’s name
- The insurer medical exam report, if there was one
- Which benefits stopped: medical, wages, household help, care
- Your doctors’ names and your next appointments
- The policy declarations page, if you have it
The clock after a denial
A lawsuit for no-fault benefits can generally recover only losses incurred in the year before it is filed. That period is paused from the time you submit a specific claim until the insurer formally denies it in writing; after the denial, it picks up where it stopped (MCL 500.3145). In practice, the date on a denial letter matters.
What the law provides when benefits are overdue
Benefits are overdue if they aren’t paid within 30 days after the insurer receives reasonable proof of the loss. Overdue benefits carry 12% interest a year (MCL 500.3142). If a court finds the insurer unreasonably refused or delayed payment, it can order the insurer to pay your attorney fees as well (MCL 500.3148). Neither is automatic: both depend on what the insurer had in front of it and when.
Getting a review
A free review starts with a short conversation: what the letter says, which benefits stopped, and when. You don’t need to send records at first. If we need the letter or medical records, we’ll ask and give you a way to send them securely. Call 313.733.1204 or use the form below.
Questions people ask us
Do I have to go to the insurer’s medical exam?
Usually yes, if the policy requires it and the request is reasonable. Refusing can give the insurer a reason to suspend benefits. The statute doesn’t say whether you may bring a companion, so ask the insurer in writing beforehand and keep its answer. Afterward, write down how long the exam actually lasted.
The insurer says I lied on my application. Can it cancel my policy?
Insurers sometimes try to rescind a policy for misstatements on the application. Rescission is not automatic, and courts weigh the circumstances, especially for people other than the policyholder. Don’t sign anything the insurer sends until a lawyer reads it.
Should I keep treating after a denial?
If your doctor says you need care, a gap in treatment is often used as evidence that you no longer did. Talk with your doctor about how the care will be paid in the meantime, including through health insurance.
How long does a no-fault lawsuit take?
It varies with the court and the dispute. Some settle within months; cases that go to trial commonly take more than a year. Benefits found to be overdue carry 12% interest a year while the case is pending.
