This segment is sponsored
by Michigan Auto Law.
Let's talk about auto insurance.
If you're a Michigan resident
driving on Michigan roadways,
you have to maintain valid no fault
auto insurance coverage on your vehicle.
How much insurance and the
kind of coverage you get?
Well, that's a decision you have to make.
Attorney Brandon Hewitt is here.
From Michigan auto law to
help us sort it all out.
Hi Brandon, yeah,
I used to think if you drove an old clunker.
You got the cheapest coverage
if you had a newer vehicle,
you went for full coverage 'cause
that was a smarter thing to do,
but it's not quite that simple,
is it?
It's really not, you know.
We talked to a lot of people and they say,
well, I have full coverage.
Well, it doesn't really necessarily
mean what you think it means.
So there is a big difference between PLPD
and what people think of full coverage.
But then there's actually a big difference
between what people think is full coverage
and what actually is full coverage.
So for example,
that is what you thought, right?
That's the coverage on the old clunker.
You're basically, you get an accident.
Your insurance is not going
to take care of your vehicle.
You're just out of luck.
OK, so people opt for what
they say is full coverage,
and that does take care of your vehicle.
Your insurance is going to pay
for your vehicle, which is great,
but there are some things that
are possibly and likely going to
be left out even if you you know,
quote UN quote, you opt for full coverage.
Well, let's dive in a
little bit more on this.
First, we'll do PLPD what?
What exactly is it, and?
And what's it covering so
it it technically stands for personal
liability and property damage.
So basically meets the minimum
requirements that you need to drive
a vehicle on the road in Michigan.
So it's going to cover up to
$250,000 in liability coverage.
That's the default in Michigan.
You can opt in lower than that,
but then you're taking a huge risk
if you hurt somebody in an accident
that you don't have enough coverage
to take care of their damages.
And then it's also going to take
care of property damage if you.
Damaged somebody elses vehicle
or property in or out of state,
but again it leaves you with no
coverage for yourself essentially.
So let's talk about things like
medical bills or lost wages or
you know pain and suffering.
What happens with you?
Full coverage are going to include
what what we consider no fault
coverage for your medical bills.
If you include those on your coverage.
Again, Michigan changed their law a
couple years ago that you can pick
different amounts of your coverage.
It's going to pay your lost
wages so that doesn't matter.
If you have PLPD or full coverage.
But again, you're going to see a
difference between full coverage
and PLPD in in property and
what you might owe to somebody
else if you caused the accident.
OK, let's dig in a little deeper
on on that full coverage then.
If I've got a newer vehicle,
is it automatic that I
should go for full coverage?
You know it. Yes, the short answer is yes,
you know you should cover your vehicle
to the highest limit possible because
you don't want especially go alone on
that or you're leasing the vehicle.
You don't want to own money.
If the insurance company doesn't give
you enough to cover your damages,
we want to make sure you
have enough coverage there,
but also you want to opt in for things
like uninsured and underinsured
motorist coverage that people think
that they have on full coverage and
that protects you in case somebody hits
you who doesn't have enough insurance.
You're going to want to get
coverage for your mini tort.
Protection so that you're not
out your deductible that $3000
that you might owe to somebody
else if they cause the the crash.
So the best advice here is really
to talk to your insurance agent,
not just tell them that you
want full coverage versus PLPD,
but do you want to be protected
as much as possible?
Not only if you cause a crash,
but if somebody else causes a crash that
doesn't necessarily have enough insurance,
so ask for full coverage
plus everything else,
because you're not just insuring
the car should damage occur.
There is so much more than that,
and I think sometimes people just don't
even think about that stuff right.
That's right, when people call
us and they've been injured,
they have no idea where they're going
to get their medical bills from.
You know, Michigan used to have
unlimited medical coverage,
no matter what kind of coverage
you got for your vehicle.
Now that coverage can be limited to fifty
thousand $250,000, half $1,000,000.
There's all kinds of different choices out
there and you don't know what you have.
A lot of times until you get in
that crash and then it's too late
to change it at that point so.
You know the best best idea here is call us.
We'll talk to you.
We'll look at your coverage page.
Will tell you what you have,
what you don't have.
I'll call an independent insurance
agent and ask them.
Just really, you know, make sure.
Especially for what I have.
If I have children.
If I have a spouse.
If I have,
you know,
a home or a business that I need
to protect or need to protect
myself or somebody else just to
make sure that you have enough.
Not just the cheapest coverage
that you can get.
You want the best coverage you can get
for sure. OK, well folks,
if you want to contact Brandon,
you can find all this
information michiganautolaw.com.
Thanks, Brendan. Thank you so much.