Michigan Motorcycle Accident Claims: What Riders Need to Know in 2025

Why PIP priority rules matter — and how to protect your full right to compensation under Michigan law.

Motorcycle crashes in Michigan bring a unique set of legal challenges. Unlike a traditional auto accident, a motorcycle collision immediately triggers questions about insurance priority, PIP eligibility, and what damages a rider can recover from the at-fault driver. These issues can dramatically affect your case — and most riders don’t find out the rules until it’s too late.

Below is a clear guide to how motorcycle accident claims work in Michigan in 2025, written to help riders protect their claims and avoid the most common insurance traps.

Motorcycle Crash Claims Are Different

Michigan’s No-Fault Act treats motorcycles differently than cars. Motorcycles are not considered “motor vehicles” under MCL 500.3101(3)(i).
This one detail changes everything about:

Who pays medical bills
Which insurance policy is responsible
Whether you qualify for PIP benefits
How you pursue pain and suffering damages

Because motorcycles are excluded from the No-Fault “motor vehicle” definition, riders do not automatically receive PIP benefits through their own motorcycle insurance policy.

This leads to the most important rule in all Michigan motorcycle injury cases.

The Most Important Rule: Riders Must Draw PIP From the Striking Motor Vehicle

Under MCL 500.3114(5), when a motorcycle and a motor vehicle are involved in an accident, the motor vehicle’s insurer pays PIP benefits — not the motorcycle policy.

This is the law every Michigan rider needs to understand:

If you are a motorcyclist struck by a motor vehicle, you draw PIP benefits from the insurance policy on the striking motor vehicle.
(MCL 500.3114(5)(a)).

This rule applies even if:

You don’t have auto insurance
You have separate motorcycle insurance
You purchased low PIP medical or opted out
You are not at fault
You are a passenger on someone else’s bike

As long as a motor vehicle is involved, its insurer becomes responsible for PIP.

This can include:

Cars
Trucks
SUVs
Commercial vehicles
Buses

If no “motor vehicle” is involved (e.g., single-bike crash), then different priority rules apply — and the rider may or may not qualify for PIP at all.

What PIP Covers for Motorcycle Riders

Once PIP coverage is triggered through the striking vehicle’s insurer, it covers:

Medical bills (up to the policy’s medical limit)
Wage loss
Replacement services
Attendant care (in some cases)
Mileage reimbursement

This can be life-changing after a serious motorcycle crash.

But here’s the critical point most riders miss:

**PIP Benefits Do Not Replace Your Tort Claims**

Drawing PIP from the striking vehicle’s insurer does NOT prevent you from suing the driver who caused the crash.

Michigan allows riders to pursue a full tort claim for:

✔ Pain and suffering damages (non-economic loss)

✔ Excess medical expenses

✔ Excess wage loss

✔ Wrongful death damages (if applicable)

✔ Loss of consortium / household services

Nothing about the PIP priority rule takes those rights away.

Your tort claim is brought under MCL 500.3135, and you must still prove:

The other driver was negligent, and
You suffered a “serious impairment of body function.”

Motorcycle crashes often easily meet this threshold due to the severity of injuries.

Why Riders Lose Their Claims:
The 3 Biggest Mistakes

Mistake #1 — Filing PIP with the wrong insurance company

If you submit a claim to the wrong insurer, you risk:

Delayed medical payment
A denied claim
Missed deadlines
Losing priority status

PIP must be filed with the insurer of the vehicle that struck you, not your motorcycle carrier.

Mistake #2 — Letting the at-fault driver’s insurer “handle everything”

Auto insurers routinely:

Misstate the PIP rules
Try to route claims back to the rider’s motorcycle insurer
Downplay injuries
Push quick, undervalued settlements

Motorcycle injury cases are some of the most contested claims in Michigan.

**Mistake #3 — Not preserving both claims (PIP and tort)**

Many riders don’t realize they have two parallel claims:

A PIP claim for immediate economic losses
A tort claim for long-term and non-economic losses

If you don’t preserve both, you may leave tens of thousands of dollars on the table.

What Riders Should Do Immediately After a Michigan Motorcycle Crash

1. Identify the striking vehicle

This determines the entire insurance structure.

2. File your PIP claim with the correct insurer

Again: the striking motor vehicle’s insurer.

3. Document your injuries and scene evidence

Photos, helmet damage, skid marks, and witness info matter.

4. Get medical treatment immediately

Delayed treatment = insurers argue your injuries aren’t related.

5. Contact an attorney experienced in Michigan motorcycle claims

Missteps in these cases are extremely costly.
A knowledgeable attorney can handle:

PIP priority
Tort preservation
Liability disputes
Insurance adjusters
Evidence gathering
Damages documentation

Why Motorcycle Accident Cases Require Special Attention

Motorcycle injury cases are some of the most complex claims under Michigan’s No-Fault system because they require:

Correct interpretation of MCL 500.3114
Analysis of fault vs. comparative fault
Proof of serious impairment
Understanding of multiple insurance layers
Identification of excess damages
Coordination of health insurance, PIP, and tort

Riders often face catastrophic injuries — which means the financial stakes are high and the insurance companies fight harder.

If You Were Injured in a Michigan Motorcycle Crash, JKH Law Can Help

Motorcycle crashes change lives.
You deserve an attorney who understands:

PIP priority rules
Tort rights
No-Fault coordination
Michigan motorcycle statutes
The strategies insurers use to minimize payouts

If you or a loved one was injured, I’m here to help you understand your rights and protect your claim from the start.