You Paid All of Your Auto Insurance Premiums. Now Your Auto Insurer is Cutting You Off Just When You Need Them Most. What Do You Do?
You have always paid your insurance premiums on time, every month. And the insurance company was your best friend, too……. until you had an auto accident, and dared to suggest that they should make good on their promise to give you the coverage you paid for – for years.
Michigan’s No-Fault system is based on a trade-off: In exchange for giving up some rights to sue, you are supposed to be able to get your Michigan No-Fault benefits — the ones that will pay your bills now, more easily, and without hassle or litigation. Those benefits include:
- Medical Bills
- Lost wages & Income
- In-Home Care (either professional or provided by a friend/family)
- Partial Reimbursement for Household Expenses
Folks hire me all the time, to pursue “pain & suffering” dollar damages, from their car accidents. However, it is often more critical for your household that the insurance company keeps its promise to pay the categories of bills listed above. You need these insurance company promises to be kept, during the time that I am pursuing the at-fault driver for accountability. These benefits may be the difference of being able/unable to pay your mortgage or rent; being able/unable to feed your family; and being able/unable to pay other critical expenses like medicine, expenses for your children’s care, etc.
Just because the Michigan No-Fault Act requires auto insurance companies to keep their promises, does not mean that they always do. Unless you have aggressive, knowledgeable legal help, you will likely have no way of holding the insurance company’s feet to the fire. That is why you need to call Jon Frank at The Frank Law Firm, PC, 877-FRANK-LAW.
Insurance companies have ways, some legitimate, and some sneaky, by which they dodge and duck having to pay on the promises they made, that you paid for. You need someone who knows what auto insurers are allowed to do, and what they are not allowed to do. That is why you need to call Jon Frank at The Frank Law Firm, PC, 877-FRANK-LAW.
You are welcome to call me at 877-FRANK-LAW, to discuss your matter. If you prefer, you can fill out the form I am attaching below, print it, and send it to me by fax or email, so we can discuss your rights in greater depth. I would be happy to help.
Free Consultation Voucher – Disputed Auto Insurance Claims
(Ethical rules prohibit us from discussing your matter, if you already have an attorney. If you do have an attorney, call them for legal advice; if you do have an attorney, ask them why they are not keeping you informed of your rights)
Is Your Insurance Company Refusing to Provide You The Accident Coverage You Have Paid For?
Attorney Jon Frank Used to Work for Insurance Companies & Knows How to Force Them to Do Right By You.
No-Fault Insurance Claims. Understand Your Rights in Michigan.
Typically, health insurance pays “primary” to no-fault, meaning that the health insurer pays first, and any remaining unpaid accident-related expense should then be paid for by no-fault. This is called “coordination of benefits”. There are exceptions to this for “ERISA-qualified plans”, discussed below.
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I cannot stress enough the importance of cooperating with your insurance company, before you have to hire me as your attorney. If you do have to hire a lawyer, he/she (or I) will be your contact with the insurance company.
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Sometimes, there are potentially more than just one insurance company, who might be responsible to pay your no-fault benefits. Specific rules, allocating this responsibility are set forth in MCLA §500.3114, in order, more or less as follows:
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The Client Bill of Rights
Get Yours.
Client Bill of Rights
- 100% Client Satisfaction Guarantee
- 48-Hour Open Door Policy
- The Lawyer You Hire Is The Lawyer Who Works on Your Case
- Candid Explanations in Plain Simple English
- An Idea Where Your Case is Heading
- One-Day Returned Phone Call/E-Mail/Text Policy
- Cell Phone Access to Your Lawyer
- Constant Immediate Updating
- You Have A Right to A Lawyer Who Will Respect Nos. 1-8 Above
Being a client sucks. It is a terrible and anxious experience, and I know, because I am not only a lawyer, but I have been a client before, myself. It can be awful, and the lawyer you hire should not make it worse.
Because different lawyers do different work, the problems that bring you to a lawyer will vary. However, one thing is in common: you have to put yourself and a highly sensitive problem into the hands of another person. It means that there is a loss of control. A cloud hanging over your head.
Just you hire me to protect your rights, you have rights THAT EVERY LAWYER SHOULD BE WILLING TO PROTECT.
I AM.
CLIENT BILL OF RIGHTS
1. 100% Client Satisfaction Guarantee
You have a right to be satisfied, and soon, that I am hard at work on your matter, and that your case is not “just another case”, but it is my cause. I cannot guarantee outcomes of personal injury, criminal, or other court matters.
However, if you are not completely satisfied within the first 30 days, or before the first Court appearance, whichever is sooner, that I am working hard on your case, then you can come get your file, or I will send it to you, and you can go hire another lawyer.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO BE COMPLETELY SATISFIED THAT I AM WORKING HARD ON YOUR MATTER, AND THAT YOUR CASE IS MY CAUSE.
2. 48-Hour Open Door Policy
If you feel that you need to sit down with me face-to-face to discuss your case, I WILL CLEAR MY SCHEDULE, SETTING ASIDE TIME TO MEET WITH YOU IN MY OFFICE. Even if I am in the middle of trial, I will meet with you within 48 hours.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO MEET WITH ME AT MY OFFICE, WITHIN 48 HOURS OF YOUR REQUEST, AND TO EXPECT ME TO CLEAR MY SCHEDULE, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
3. The Lawyer You Hire Is The Lawyer Who Works on Your Case
When you hire Jon Frank and The Frank Law Firm, PC, you hire Jon Frank. You will not be shunted off to associates who are off-camera, and whose faces do not appear on websites, or TV advertising. I am the lawyer who will answer your calls.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT THAT THE LAWYER YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO HIRE, IS THE ONE WHO IS ACTUALLY WORKING ON YOUR CASE.
4. Candid Explanations in Plain Simple English
Personal injury, no-fault, and criminal matters, while commonly settled “out of court”, are ultimately matters decided “in court”, and therefore, no guarantees can be made as to outcome. Anyone who says otherwise, is not being truthful with you.
So, too, where you hire me to deed a property into trust, handle a probate matter, or anything else that I might do as your lawyer, there is a process that we must follow, and as the “paying customer”, you are entitled to understand just what that process is.
These are often complex matters that need to be explained to you, by your lawyer. Not only should your lawyer GLADLY explain the process to you, your lawyer should explain to you, in plain simple English – without formal, condescending “legalese”.
Not every lawyer is willing to give their client a full and candid explanation, for good or ill, and in plain simple English, of just what is going on with their case.
I AM.
THEREFORE, YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOUR CASE, AND TO KEEP ASKING ME TO EXPLAIN IT, UNTIL YOU DO UNDERSTAND.
Lawyers are paid to provide a service, and should not complain, when their clients ask for the service they have paid for.
5. An Idea Where Your Case is Heading
As I just mentioned, there is a process that your matter will follow, from start to finish. One of the biggest causes of client stress, is not knowing just what that process is – ahead of time. Knowing what road you will be taking, makes the trip easier, not just as a traveler on an Interstate, but also as a client in a legal matter.
THEREFORE, YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW IN ADVANCE, WHERE YOUR CASE IS HEADING, AS TO:
- PROCESS AND PROCEDURE
- STRONG POINTS AND WEAK POINTS OF YOUR CASE
- DESIRED OUTCOMES
- LIKELY OUTCOMES
6. One-Day Returned Phone Call/E-Mail/Text Policy
If it is important enough for you to reach out to me, to call, e-mail, or text, it is important enough for me to return the communication, and to do so promptly.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT ME WITHIN ONE BUSINESS DAY, TO:
- RETURN YOUR PHONE CALL
- RETURN YOUR TEXT MESSAGE, AND/OR
- RESPOND TO YOUR E-MAIL
7. Cell Phone Access to Your Lawyer
You have just hired me to help you through one of the most sensitive, gut-wrenching episodes you will ever have in your life, as long as you live.
One of the deepest expressions of trust, one human being can give another, is to be vulnerable enough to ask for help. By hiring me as your lawyer, that is what you have done. Therefore, I make a point of giving my clients my cell phone number, so that they can contact me, day or night, 24/7/365, by phone or text message
While you ARE WELCOME TO MY CELL PHONE NUMBER, I have enabled my land lines, (586) 727-1900 and (877) FRANK-LAW (372-6552) to receive text messages. While I may not always be available to talk, I want to make it easy for you to contact me; if I am not readily available, I will get back to you, often within minutes or hours, but always within one business day.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO MY CELL PHONE NUMBER, AND TO HAVE ACCESS TO ME 24/7/365 BY CELL PHONE AND TEXT MESSAGE.
8. Constant Immediate Updating
It is bad enough to have to put your life in someone else’s hands. When you have to put your life into my hands, you have an absolute right to be kept updated as to the progress of your matter. My policy is to send a copy to you, by email, of all correspondence I send to other people (lawyers, insurance companies, prosecutors, police agencies, etc.).
Receiving copies by email, will enable you to see what I am doing on your case, as I am doing it.
I will send you email copies, usually by “blind copy”, to protect your email privacy; sometimes, I will forward to you, a previously sent email. If you do not have email, then I will send you copies of outgoing correspondence, by regular mail.
YOU HAVE AN ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO BE COPIED ON ALL OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE ON YOUR MATTER, BY E-MAIL, OR BY REGULAR MAIL, WHEN THAT CORRESPONDENCE IS BEING SENT.
9. You Have A Right To A Lawyer Who Will Respect Nos. 1-8 Above
If you are looking for a lawyer who can help guide you through your injury matter to a great recovery, at the earliest possible time, or someone who can help protect your rights in a drunk driving, or criminal matter, you have a right to a lawyer who will respect these rights you have as a client.
As a client, you should never have to worry or wonder if your lawyer cares about your rights as a client, or whether they respect you as a human being. You deserve, and have a right to a lawyer, who will do both.
TEXT OR CALL ME, Jon Frank, at 877-FRANK-LAW, or at (586) 727-1900, if you want me to protect your rights as a citizen – and as a client. You can email me as well, at jon@jonfranklaw.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
Frequently Asked No-Fault Insurance Claims Questions. Michigan Based Legal Answers.
What is a No-Fault Claim?
A no-fault claim is a legal action against an insurance company for certain expenses related to an auto accident. In Michigan, we collect our medical bills from our own auto insurers, as well as lost wages and miscellaneous auto accident-related expenses.
A no-fault claim is a legal action against an insurance company for certain expenses related to an auto accident. In Michigan, we collect our medical bills from our own auto insurers, as well as lost wages and miscellaneous auto accident-related expenses.
Do I Have to Go to Court?
No, and you will find that I will be handling most of the day-to-day details. Not only that, I will keep you informed every step of the way, by email, or by regular mail. I will literally copy you on every piece of mail or email I send out... Load complete answer.
No, and you will find that I will be handling most of the day-to-day details. Not only that, I will keep you informed every step of the way, by email, or by regular mail. I will literally copy you on every piece of mail or email I send out.
Meanwhile, by getting your case ready for trial, I will make it that much less likely that the insurance company will want to try it.
Do I Need to Hire an Attorney?
You should not have to. In fact, the Michigan No-Fault system was designed to make the process of filing a claim so simple, that you should not need to hire a lawyer. Unfortunately, insurance companies are more interested in protecting their bottom line than they are in protecting their insured customers, who faithfully pay their premiums year in and year out... Load complete answer.
You should not have to. In fact, the Michigan No-Fault system was designed to make the process of filing a claim so simple, that you should not need to hire a lawyer. Unfortunately, insurance companies are more interested in protecting their bottom line than they are in protecting their insured customers, who faithfully pay their premiums year in and year out.
An experienced no-fault attorney understands the tricks that insurance companies will try to pull and give you the advantage of using Michigan law to its fullest extent.
You are welcome to call or text me at 877-FRANK-LAW, to discuss your matter. If you prefer, you can fill out the form I am attaching below, print it, and send it to me by fax or email, so we can discuss your rights in greater depth. I would be happy to help.
Free Consultation Voucher – Disputed Auto Insurance Claims
(Ethical rules prohibit us from discussing your matter, if you already have an attorney. If you do have an attorney, call them for legal advice; if you do have an attorney, ask them why they are not keeping you informed of your rights)
Can I Get Compensation for Medical Bills?
Yes. Medical expenses related to your auto accident are eligible to be covered through a no-fault claim, including in-home care.
Yes. Medical expenses related to your auto accident are eligible to be covered through a no-fault claim, including in-home care.
What is Covered in a No-Fault Claim?
The Michigan No-Fault Act allows claims in the following categories:
The Michigan No-Fault Act allows claims in the following categories:
- Accident-related medical bills
- In-home personal care (sometimes called “attendant care”, provided either by a professional, or by a family member or loved one
- Accident-related wage loss
- Partial household expense reimbursement.
Can I Recover Lost Wages for Missed Work Time?
Yes. If your auto accident resulted in loss of wages you may be able to receive additional compensation – even if you were unemployed at the time of the accident.
Yes. If your auto accident resulted in loss of wages you may be able to receive additional compensation – even if you were unemployed at the time of the accident.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
You have one year from the time of the accident, to give the insurer written notice of the claim. Once you have done that, you then have one year from the date of the last unpaid no-fault expense, to sue... Load complete answer.
You have one year from the time of the accident, to give the insurer written notice of the claim. Once you have done that, you then have one year from the date of the last unpaid no-fault expense, to sue.
Example:
January 1, 2017 accident (written notice given), Last Unpaid Expense: January 1, 2018 doctor bill
You have until January 1, 2019, to file suit on that unpaid doctor bill. After that time, the no-fault insurance carrier can no longer be held responsible for payment.
Can I Sue Both the At-Fault Driver & My Insurance Company?
Yes. I will make a claim for you against the at-fault driver’s insurance company, and if we cannot settle that claim, I will sue the at-fault driver.
Yes. I will make a claim for you against the at-fault driver’s insurance company, and if we cannot settle that claim, I will sue the at-fault driver.
What Happens if I Do Not Want to Sue My Own No-Fault Insurance Company?
If I am representing you on the pain and suffering accident claim against the at-fault driver, I will gladly help you “behind the scenes”, on your No-Fault claim, WITHOUT CHARGE... Load complete answer.
If I am representing you on the pain and suffering accident claim against the at-fault driver, I will gladly help you “behind the scenes”, on your No-Fault claim, WITHOUT CHARGE.
However, I can do that only if I am representing you on your accident claim, and only up to the point where the insurance company and you cannot resolve your issues without my help. At that point, I would be glad to help, but at that point, I would have to charge for my work, although I could do it for you on a contingent fee basis (no recovery, no fee).
How Much Will All This Cost?
I handle most No-Fault matters on a contingent fee basis, meaning that I get paid, only when I successfully resolve your No-Fault matter. If no recovery is made, no fee will be charged.
I handle most No-Fault matters on a contingent fee basis, meaning that I get paid, only when I successfully resolve your No-Fault matter. If no recovery is made, no fee will be charged.
What if I Caused the Accident? Can I Still File a Claim?
Absolutely. That is why our system is called a “No-Fault” system. Under MCLA §500.3105(2), No-Fault benefits are paid without regard to accident fault.
Absolutely. That is why our system is called a “No-Fault” system. Under MCLA §500.3105(2), No-Fault benefits are paid without regard to accident fault.