Michigan no-fault coverage explained clearly, with PIP choices and quotes from multiple carriers.
Samantha Lewis Agency helps drivers find car insurance in Livonia, MI, that fits Michigan’s unique no-fault system. Whether you are insuring a first car or a household of drivers, we explain your auto insurance choices in plain English, including PIP medical limits and liability coverage, then compare carriers for you.
Under Michigan’s no-fault system, your own auto policy pays for your injury-related costs after a crash through Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, no matter who caused it. No-fault does not mean nobody is responsible: at-fault drivers can still be sued in some situations, and damage to your own car is covered only if you carry collision coverage.
A Michigan car insurance policy combines required no-fault coverages with optional ones. Every policy must include Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Property Protection Insurance (PPI) and residual bodily injury and property damage liability. Collision, comprehensive, uninsured and underinsured motorist, and mini-tort coverage are optional, although a lender may require collision and comprehensive on a financed car.
| Coverage | What it pays for | Michigan note |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Injury Protection (PIP) | Allowable medical expenses and certain related benefits, such as lost wages, after an auto accident. | Required; you choose a PIP medical level |
| Property Protection Insurance (PPI) | Damage your car does to other people’s property in Michigan, such as buildings, fences and properly parked cars. | Required |
| Bodily injury and property damage liability (BI/PD) | Your legal liability if you are sued for causing serious injury or certain damage, including in other states. | Required; you choose your limits |
| Collision | Repairs to your own car after a crash, subject to your deductible and coverage option. | Optional; lenders may require it |
| Comprehensive | Theft, vandalism, fire, hail, flooding, glass and hitting a deer. | Optional; deductible applies |
| Uninsured / underinsured motorist | Your injury losses when the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little. | Optional |
| Limited property damage (mini-tort) | Claims against you for another driver’s out-of-pocket vehicle damage when you are mostly at fault. | Optional |
Michigan sets minimum liability limits, and since the 2019 reform the default bodily injury limits are higher than the old minimums. You can choose lower limits only by making a written selection. Because a serious accident can lead to a lawsuit, we usually walk through what higher limits would protect, such as your home and savings, before you decide.
Your declarations page is the summary sheet at the front of your car insurance policy, and the first thing we ask for when comparing quotes.
Since Michigan’s 2019 auto insurance reform, drivers choose a PIP medical coverage level instead of everyone carrying unlimited coverage. Options range from unlimited coverage to lower limits, and some drivers with qualifying health coverage, such as Medicare, may be able to opt out. Your choice affects both your premium and how much of your accident-related medical care is covered.
The right level depends on your health insurance, who lives in your household, and how much risk you are comfortable carrying. Lower limits can reduce your premium, but if accident-related medical costs go beyond your limit, you may have to rely on other coverage or pay out of pocket. Our page on Michigan no-fault auto reform explains the options in more detail. For official consumer information, see the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS).
Car insurance costs in Michigan usually come down when you compare several carriers, choose your PIP medical level deliberately, raise deductibles you can afford, bundle home and auto, keep a clean driving record and ask about the discounts each carrier offers. Each carrier weighs these factors differently, so the same Livonia driver can see quite different prices.
The lowest premium usually comes from carrying the least coverage. Minimum liability limits, a low PIP medical level and no collision coverage can leave a gap that you pay yourself after a serious accident. The table shows the trade-off behind common changes, so you can decide with your eyes open.
| Change | Effect on premium | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| Raise your deductible | Usually lowers | You pay more out of pocket on each collision or comprehensive claim |
| Choose a lower PIP medical level | Usually lowers | Accident medical costs above your limit may fall to other coverage or to you |
| Carry lower liability limits | Usually lowers | Less protection for your home and savings if you are sued |
| Drop collision on an older car | Usually lowers | No-fault will not pay to repair your own car after a crash |
| Skip uninsured / underinsured motorist | Slightly lowers | Less help when the at-fault driver has little or no insurance |
| Bundle home and auto | Often lowers | Usually nothing, though the bundled carrier is not always the lowest overall |
Using a vehicle for business? A personal auto policy may not respond to business use. See our page on commercial vehicle insurance for vans, trucks and other work vehicles.
Samantha Lewis Agency is an independent agency at 39293 Plymouth Rd STE 139, Livonia, MI 48150. We compare auto insurance quotes from carriers licensed in Michigan and explain the differences before you choose.
Prefer another route? The auto insurance quote request page works too, or call us at (734) 525-9450.
Start by comparing several carriers, since each one prices the same driver differently. Then review your deductibles, your PIP medical choice and whether bundling with home insurance makes sense, and ask about the discounts each carrier offers. We look at all of these together so a lower premium does not leave a gap you did not expect.
Bundling home and auto with the same carrier often earns a multi-policy discount and keeps your coverage and billing in one place. It is not always the lower-cost option, though, so we compare bundled and separate quotes across carriers and recommend whichever fits your household better.
It depends on your health insurance, who lives in your household and how much risk you are comfortable carrying. Lower PIP medical limits can reduce your premium, but costs above your limit may fall to other coverage or to you. Some drivers with qualifying health coverage may be able to opt out. We review each option with you before you decide.
It depends on how many drivers and vehicles you have and how quickly carriers respond. Having your current declarations page and vehicle details ready helps a lot. We aim to respond quickly, and we will tell you up front if a carrier needs more information before it can quote.
No. Quotes and consultations with Samantha Lewis Agency are free and come with no obligation. As we like to put it, it is just a friendly conversation about your options. You decide whether to switch, and you can ask us to compare your current policy without committing to anything.
Every Michigan auto policy must include Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Property Protection Insurance (PPI) and residual bodily injury and property damage liability. Together these cover injury-related costs, damage your car does to other people’s property in Michigan, and your liability if you are sued. Damage to your own car needs collision or comprehensive coverage.
Review it at least once a year and whenever something changes, such as adding a teen driver, buying or selling a car, paying off a loan, moving, or changing health coverage, since health coverage can affect your PIP choices. We review clients’ auto policies each year as their households change.
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