Your after-crash plan

1. Who is likely first in line to pay

It depends on where you were and whether anyone in your household has auto insurance. Most people claim from an auto policy in their own household first; with no household policy, the claim usually goes to the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan. See which insurer pays.

2. Benefits to ask about

• Medical care up to the PIP limit on the paying policy, plus mileage to appointments.
• If you later miss work, need help with chores, or need care at home, those are separate benefits. Keep track from the first day.

3. Records to gather

• The crash report number and the police agency that took the report
• Your auto policy’s declarations page and any claim number
• A list of every doctor, clinic and pharmacy, and a log of appointments with miles driven
• Proof of where you lived on the crash date, and the auto policies of anyone you live with

4. Dates that matter

Things to find out

• Whether anyone you live with (you, a spouse, or a relative in the home) has Michigan auto insurance. A declarations page shows it.
• Whether you were in a vehicle, on a motorcycle, or on foot or a bicycle. Each follows a different order of insurers.
• The crash date. Every deadline in this plan is counted from it.
• Whether a claim has been opened with an insurer, and whether anything has been paid.
• A written diagnosis from your doctor, and how the injury affects work, sleep and daily life.

A claim against the at-fault driver

It depends on the injury and on who was at fault. See claims against the at-fault driver.

Read next

• The first 30 days after a crash
• Which insurer pays