Legislation
In May of 2019 Governor Whitmer signed SB1, the No-Fault Insurance Reform bill, into law. This law eliminates the requirement to carry unlimited personal injury protection (PIP) & allows an insured individual to choose levels of PIP coverage; $250,000, $500,000 or unlimited. If you are 65 or over, you can choose not to purchase PIP at all, or choose $50,000 (as well as the other levels) & if you are on Medicaid you can choose a level as low as $25,000.
Because motorcycles are treated differently under no-fault law, a motorcyclist’s accident expenses are paid by the driver of the car that hits him. So, with no fix in place, after July 1, 2020, a motorcyclist who gets into an accident with a senior with no PIP coverage would have to take that senior to court and sue to have any bills paid. Whatever level of PIP a car driver carries, will be all that is available to an accident victim for all expenses. Not a good situation for a motorcycist.
SB528 fixes all that is wrong with this new insurance law. It makes the PIP coverage you purchase on your motorcycle policy, the primary coverage, so it would not matter what coverage a car driver carries. Your own insurance would cover all your expenses. The bill was written by Dondi Vespirini, ABATE Board Director, & ABATE’s lawyer, with the help of Region 11 Senator Anthony Lucido (R), who introduced this bill on Sept. 18. It is vital this bill is passed before July 1, 2020. Please make you voice heard, and call, write, email, or visit every member of the Senate Insurance & Banking Committee & let them know you want SB528 brought up for a vote, & that vote needs to be yes!