Michigan Motorcycle Accident Claims and No-Fault Benefits

Can a Michigan Motorcyclist Get No-Fault Benefits?

Yes, but there are exceptions and specific laws that must be followed.

When a motorcycle operator or passenger is injured in a motor vehicle accident that shows evidence of the involvement of a motor vehicle, MCL 500.3114(5), which includes exclusions, creates a special order for claiming Personal Injury Protection benefits.

That means the answer often depends on the vehicle involved, who owned or operated it, what insurance policies exist, whether a PIP medical limit or opt-out applies, whether the motorcycle had required security, and whether the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan may need to be involved.

Practical point: Do not assume your motorcycle policy, your household auto policy, or the at-fault driver's insurer is the only possible source. Our Michigan motorcycle accident attorneys can map the policies, deadlines, and evidence before an insurer's coverage position is accepted.

Michigan Motorcycle No-Fault Claims Are Different

Michigan's no-fault system uses definitions that matter and control your specific case. Under MCL 500.3101, a motorcycle is not considered a motor vehicle. Under the statute, the definitions of a "motor vehicle accident" and "motorcycle accident" are different.

That distinction matters. A motorcycle collision with a car, pickup, commercial truck, rideshare vehicle, or other qualifying motor vehicle may have a no-fault path. A motorcycle-only crash, a single-bike crash, or a crash involving only another motorcycle may require a different coverage analysis, especially if a passenger is involved.

This is why motorcycle cases can become confusing quickly. The rider may have a motorcycle policy, a household auto policy, health insurance, and a possible claim against a negligent driver. The involved driver may have a reduced PIP medical limit or an exclusion. If no applicable coverage can be found, assigned claims may need to be reviewed.

What PIP Benefits May Cover After a Motorcycle Accident

PIP benefits are economic no-fault benefits. They are different from a pain-and-suffering claim against the person who caused the crash.

Under MCL 500.3107, PIP benefits may include:

Allowable expenses for reasonably necessary products, services, and accommodations for care, recovery, or rehabilitation
Work loss
Replacement services for ordinary and necessary services the injured person would have performed for personal or dependent benefit, subject to statutory limits
Certain funeral and burial expenses within policy and statutory limits

For policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2020, auto-policy PIP medical coverage may be limited by the coverage level selected under MCL 500.3107c or affected by an opt-out under MCL 500.3107d. The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) explains the available PIP medical coverage levels on its Choosing PIP Medical Coverage page.

Coverage is not just a bill-submission question. The correct insurer, the medical limit, coordination with health insurance, and the injured person's eligibility all need to be reviewed.

Which Insurer Is First in Line for a Michigan Motorcycle PIP Claim?

When a motorcycle operator or passenger suffers accidental bodily injury in a motor vehicle accident that shows evidence of the involvement of a motor vehicle, MCL 500.3114(5), noting specific exceptions, lists the priority order:

The insurer of the owner or registrant of the motor vehicle involved in the accident
The insurer of the operator of the motor vehicle involved in the accident
The motor vehicle insurer of the operator of the motorcycle involved in the accident
The motor vehicle insurer of the owner or registrant of the motorcycle involved in the accident
MACP

That order is one of the most important parts of a Michigan motorcycle injury case. The first insurer in the order is often connected to the car, truck, van, or other motor vehicle involved in the crash, not the motorcycle itself.

The details and your specific situation can change the answer. If the owner and operator are different people, more than one vehicle is involved, a commercial vehicle is involved, a rideshare vehicle is involved, or the rider has household auto coverage, the priority analysis needs a careful policy review.

What If the Other Vehicle Has Limited PIP, No PIP, or an Exclusion?

The 2019 no-fault reforms made motorcycle priority analysis more important because many auto policies now have PIP medical limits or qualifying exclusions.

MCL 500.3114(6) addresses what happens when an applicable policy in the motorcycle priority order is a policy where the named insured elected not to maintain PIP medical coverage under MCL 500.3107d or an exclusion applies. In that situation, the injured person may need to look to other policies in the same priority level, then the next priority level, and potentially the assigned claims plan.

DIFS also explains that a motorcyclist injured in an accident involving a motor vehicle may be limited by the PIP coverage amount in the applicable policy, and that if no coverage exists, the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan may provide up to $250,000 in benefits if the person qualifies. See the DIFS Auto Insurance FAQ.

There is an additional legal wrinkle. In 2026, the Michigan Court of Appeals addressed whether an injured motorcyclist or treatment provider could move down the motorcycle priority list after a higher-priority insurer's $250,000 PIP medical limit was exhausted. The court allowed the lower-priority claim to proceed in Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital v Esurance Property & Casualty Insurance Co. Because this is a recent appellate development, our attorneys can verify current appeal status and treatment to determine its applicability.

Does a Motorcycle Insurance Policy Include PIP?

It depends on whether it is a motorcycle-only accident or a motorcycle-and-car accident.

Can You Sue the At-Fault Driver After a Michigan Motorcycle Accident?

Possibly. PIP benefits and a third-party claim are different potential benefits.

PIP benefits may cover certain economic losses without first proving fault. A third-party claim is a claim against the person or company legally responsible for the crash. It may seek pain and suffering and other damages that PIP does not cover.

Under MCL 500.3135, a person remains subject to tort liability for noneconomic loss from ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle only if the injured person suffered death, serious impairment of body function, or permanent serious disfigurement. The statute defines serious impairment as an objectively manifested impairment of an important body function that affects the injured person's general ability to lead a normal life.

Motorcycle crashes often cause serious injuries, but the legal threshold still depends on the evidence. Medical records, imaging, surgery records, work restrictions, therapy notes, scarring photographs, daily life limitations, and witness statements matter.

The same statute can also matter when medical bills or wage loss exceed available PIP limits. MCL 500.3135(3)(c) allows certain claims for allowable expenses, work loss, and survivor's loss in excess of applicable no-fault limits when the statute applies.

What About Fault Arguments Against Motorcycle Riders?

Insurance companies often focus on visibility, speed, lane position, helmet use, and rider experience after a motorcycle crash. Those facts may matter, but they do not replace the legal analysis.

Under MCL 500.3135, comparative fault can reduce damages in certain tort claims, and damages may not be assessed in favor of a party who is more than 50% at fault for claims covered by that rule. That makes evidence preservation important.

Useful evidence may include:

Police crash report and supplemental reports
Scene photos, skid marks, debris, gouge marks, and final resting positions
Helmet, jacket, boots, gloves, and damaged riding gear
The motorcycle itself, before repair or salvage
Vehicle damage photos from all sides and angles
Dash camera, traffic camera, doorbell camera, or business surveillance video
Witness names and contact information
Phone records, event data, commercial driver logs, or rideshare records when relevant
Medical records from emergency care through follow-up treatment

How Do UM and UIM Coverage Fit Into a Motorcycle Accident Claim?

Uninsured motorist coverage (UM) and underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) are not the same as PIP.

UM coverage may matter when the at-fault driver has no usable liability insurance. UIM coverage may matter when the at-fault driver has liability insurance, but the available liability limits may be too low for the proven damages. Both depend on whether the coverage was purchased and what the policy says.

The Michigan Supreme Court has described UM coverage as optional and contractual. See Rory v Continental Insurance Co. For both UM and UIM, the full policy matters, not just the declarations page. Notice rules, consent-to-settle language, exclusions, offsets, arbitration clauses, and suit deadlines can affect the claim.

If UM/UIM coverage was purchased, the policy language controls. Our attorneys can review the motorcycle policy, household auto policies, umbrella policies, commercial policies, and the at-fault driver's coverage before any settlement release is signed.

What Deadlines Matter After a Michigan Motorcycle Accident?

Deadlines can vary depending on the claim type and facts, and exceptions or notice rules may apply.

For no-fault PIP benefits, MCL 500.3145 includes a one-year notice/action framework and a one-year-back rule that can limit recovery of older losses even when a claim exists. The notice must identify the claimant and the injured person and describe the time, place, and nature of the injury in ordinary language.

For many Michigan injury and property-damage claims, MCL 600.5805 provides a general three-year limitations period. But that is not a universal deadline. Governmental claims, medical malpractice, dram shop, intentional tort, uninsured/underinsured motorist policy claims, and other claim types may have different timelines or notice requirements.

The safer step is contacting Michigan Legal Center early to protect your rights.

What Should You Do After a Michigan Motorcycle Accident?

Your first priority is medical care and safety. After that, focus on preserving the coverage and evidence picture.

Practical steps include:

Get medical treatment and follow up on new symptoms.
Save the motorcycle, helmet, riding gear, and damaged parts if possible.
Get the police report number and the investigating agency.
Photograph the scene, motorcycle, vehicles, injuries, and gear.
Gather insurance information for the motorcycle, household auto coverage, the involved motor vehicle, employer or commercial policies, rideshare policies, health coverage, umbrella coverage, and UM/UIM coverage.
Preserve insurer letters, claim numbers, and notice documents so the proper No-Fault priority and deadline analysis can be reviewed.
Do not sign a release for the at-fault driver or insurer before all available coverage and release consequences are reviewed.
Track medical bills, mileage, wage loss, replacement services, and out-of-pocket expenses.

The point is not to turn you into your own claims department. It is to keep the claim from being narrowed before our attorneys can identify the right insurer, deadlines, and damages path.

FAQ

Who pays medical bills after a Michigan motorcycle accident?

It depends on whether the crash involved a motor vehicle and which insurance policies are in the motorcycle priority order under MCL 500.3114(5).

Does my own motorcycle insurance pay PIP benefits?

It depends. The analysis does not start with ordinary PIP on the motorcycle policy. MCL 500.3103 requires motorcycle insurers to offer first-party medical benefits in increments of $5,000, but DIFS explains that motorcycle policies do not automatically include ordinary PIP benefits the way auto policies do.

What if no insurance company accepts the PIP claim?

The Michigan Assigned Claims Plan may need to be contacted, according to MCL 500.3172.

Can I sue for pain and suffering after a motorcycle crash?

Possibly. Under MCL 500.3135, a third-party claim for noneconomic loss generally requires death, serious impairment of body function, or permanent serious disfigurement. Whether the threshold is met depends on the injuries, medical proof, and how the injuries affected the person's normal life.

What if the driver who hit me had low insurance limits?

Several issues need review. The involved driver's PIP medical selection may limit no-fault medical benefits. A third-party claim may seek excess economic loss or pain and suffering if the statutory requirements are met. If UM/UIM coverage was purchased, that policy may also matter, subject to its language, limits, exclusions, notice rules, offsets, and consent requirements.

Does riding without a helmet destroy a Michigan motorcycle accident claim?

Not necessarily. Michigan's helmet statute, MCL 257.658, includes conditions for certain riders age 21 or older to ride without a helmet, including first-party medical benefit security requirements. Helmet use may affect injury, level of damages, fault, and insurance arguments, but it should be reviewed with the full coverage and liability picture.

What if the crash was caused by road debris, a pothole, or a vehicle that did not hit the motorcycle?

Contact Michigan Legal Center quickly. A motor vehicle does not necessarily have to be the only cause of the crash for no-fault issues to arise, but the statute asks whether the accident shows evidence of motor vehicle involvement. Road defects, construction zones, government entities, product defects, and phantom vehicles can add separate notice, evidence, and defendant issues.

How long do I have to file a Michigan motorcycle accident claim?

There is no single deadline for every part of a motorcycle accident case. PIP benefits have separate notice and recovery rules under MCL 500.3145. Many injury claims use a general three-year period under MCL 600.5805, but exceptions, shorter notice requirements, and policy deadlines can apply.

Talk To Our Michigan Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

Michigan motorcycle accident claims can involve several moving pieces at the same time: no-fault priority, PIP medical limits, assigned claims, health insurance, motorcycle security, fault disputes, serious impairment, excess economic loss, and UM/UIM coverage.

Christopher Trainor & Associates can review the policies, preserve evidence, send insurer notices, evaluate the third-party claim, and identify deadline issues before an insurance company defines the claim too narrowly.

Michigan Legal Center handles motorcycle accident cases throughout Michigan. Call (248) 886-8650 or contact Michigan Legal Center for a consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover money for you. Case costs and fee terms are governed by the written fee agreement.

Sources

MCL 500.3101
MCL 500.3103
MCL 500.3114
MCL 500.3113
MCL 500.3107
MCL 500.3107c
MCL 500.3107d
MCL 500.3109a
MCL 500.3172
MCL 500.3145
MCL 500.3135
MCL 600.5805
MCL 257.658
DIFS Auto Insurance FAQ
DIFS Choosing PIP Medical Coverage
Rory v Continental Insurance Co.
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital v Esurance Property & Casualty Insurance Co.

Legal Disclaimer

The information in this blog post is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, professional advice, or advice about any specific case. Reading this article, using this website, or contacting Michigan Legal Center does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Michigan Legal Center, the Law Offices of Christopher J. Trainor & Associates, or any of its attorneys, employees, or agents.

Every case is different. The facts of your case, the laws that apply, the deadlines that control, the claims that may be available, and the potential outcomes will vary based on your specific circumstances. Past results do not guarantee a similar result in your case. Michigan law, including the Michigan No-Fault Act and applicable statutes of limitations, may change over time, and we cannot guarantee that every article reflects the most current legal developments at the time it is read. You should consult directly with a licensed Michigan attorney for advice regarding your individual situation.