What is ABATE of Michigan fighting to fix?

ABATE of Michigan Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1976 to preserve motorcyclist rights, promote safe operating practices, and raise motorist's awareness of motorcycles in Michigan. ABATE of Michigan is currently fighting for motorcyclists to have the same opportunity to make their own choice in no fault insurance medical benefits that motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, snowmobilers, and off-road vehicle operators get.  

During this past year ABATE has been fighting for motorcyclists to be treated and have the same rights everyone else does regarding Michigan no-fault insurance coverage.  Under Senate Bill 1, the Michigan no fault reform law, as of   July 1, 2020 a motorcyclist injured in a crash involving a motor vehicle is handcuffed to the no fault medical insurance cap that the owner or operator of the involved motor vehicle chose for himself/herself on his/her own auto insurance policy. For example: If that owner/operator chose to have a cap on their no-fault medical insurance to save money that motorcyclist would only get medical coverage up to the amount of the cap chosen by the owner or operator of the involved motor vehicle.  

Before SB1, all persons involved in a crash with an automobile were afforded unlimited, lifetime no fault medical benefits, otherwise known as personal injury protection coverage or PIP.   

Now the amount of no-fault medical benefits available to motorcyclists involved in a crash with an automobile depends on how much in no fault medical benefits the automobile's owner or driver chose to purchase. As of July 1, 2020, motorists will be required to choose to purchase no fault medical expenses in the following amounts:  unlimited, $500,000, $250,000, $50,000 under certain circumstances, or $0 under certain circumstances.  Given that a motorcyclist is bound by the no fault medial cap choice of the motorist, a motorcyclist, may be better off getting into to an automobile accident with an uninsured driver, as that is the only scenario under which a motorcyclist is allowed to go to their own auto insurance (hence get the benefit of their own no fault medical cap choice) for payment of their no-fault medical expenses.

Furthermore, a handful of health insurance plans consider motorcycling "inherently dangerous" or otherwise exclude payment for injuries from motorcycle accidents, according to Dondi Vesprini, a personal injury attorney with Buckfire Law Firm who also represents ABATE.

Michigan’s no fault reform law allows motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, snowmobilers, and off-road vehicle operators who are in an accident with a motor vehicle to claim no fault medical benefits from their own auto insurance. Dondi Vesprini explains that this means that these persons thus get the benefit of their own no fault medical cap that they chose for themselves. Under current no fault reform law, a motorcyclist is the only classification who does not get the benefit of his/her own choice of no-fault medical insurance.

The insurance industry would have you believe motorcyclists do not pay their fair share of insurance, but the truth of the matter is that they pay more than their fair share.

 

The facts are:

Motorcyclists MUST pay the annual assessment issued by the MCCA (MI Catastrophic claims Association), despite the fact that this fund is not triggered unless you are in accident involving a motor vehicle and your medical expenses exceed $580,000. To shed some light on this in 2018, only 1,019 of 246,342 registered motorcyclist were in an accident involving a motor vehicle. This means that 245,323 registered motorcyclists paid approximately $44,403,463.00 into the MCCA for claims that they did not even qualify to make

To add to this, almost every motorcyclist owns a motor vehicle for which they pay MCCA on, meaning most motorcyclists pay into the MCCA twice. To top it off, bicyclists, ORV operators, snowmobile operators and pedestrians pay $0 into the MCCA.

How is ABATE fighting to FIX No Fault Reforms Devastating Impact on Motorcyclists?

Dondi drafted House Bill 4809. This bill places the motorcyclist’s own auto insurance policy first in priority to pay the injured motorcyclists no fault benefits. This provides motorcyclists their own choice regarding their no-fault medical benefits just as motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians, snowmobilers, and off-road vehicle operators have. 

ABATE is fighting for equal rights for motorcyclists.  ABATE is fighting for motorcyclists to have the same opportunity to make their own choice in no fault insurance medical benefits that motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, snowmobilers, and off-road vehicle operators get.  Equal rights for all no matter how many wheels you are operating.

Additional topics ABATE of Michigan continues to fight against:

Profiling
New Green deal – is a movement to stop making gas vehicles and making everything electric. You will have to pay to charge your bikes and the charge is only good for 100 miles.
Autonomous Vehicles (Self driving cars) –Test pilot is in Macomb County, on Mound Rd (3-4 lane road) – Who is responsible if they crash with another vehicle?
EPA Gas – Will damage your motorcycle or boats engine and void the warranty. The fight is to have it labeled and to have its own pump.
30 states have a choice to wear a helmet and we might lose that because they are fighting to make it a federal law for “All gear all the all the time’. (SMARTER) You want this to say at the State level and not Federal. Note that if this is ever to hit Michigan’s Governor desk it will be signed into law.

Additional topics ABATE of Michigan continues to fight for:

EPA Gas – Will damage your motorcycle or boats engine and void the warranty. The fight is to have it labeled and to have its own pump.

ABATE of Michigan honoring Patty Rahn memory.

ABATE of Michigan family all came together this past weekend, June 11 th-13th, for our annual field meet. During this weekend we honored Patty memory. We blew up the most beautiful picture of Ms. Patty on her bike. We created a memory book for everyone to sign and fill with words of love. Every chance we got during the Field Meet the members shared a memory of Patty along with memories of Jinx and Ms. Patty right next to him. On Friday evening all the members got together to celebrate Ms. Patty by giving a toast in her honor that was filled with so much love. It was hard for all to hold back the tears. As Merry Garrett held up her glass to speak of Patty, tears fell from her eyes along with many others. However, when Vince Consiglio got up to say a few words the whole campground was in tears. Patty was and will always be very loved by her ABATE family. The board members will greatly miss her as she was one that went over and behind her call of duty.

Save the date!!!

Please Join Jinx, family, and friends for a Memorial Service to celebrate Patty.

Date August 14th
Address: 4455 Blackman Rd Jackson Mi 49201
Time: Memorial starts at 2:00
Rider donation of $20 per rider or $30 a couple appreciated for expenses
Kick stands up approximately between 2:30 - 3:00
Dinner at 5:00
[A person sitting on a motorcycle Description automatically generated with medium confidence]

If you are not a member of ABATE or MRF, WHY NOT!?

Contact Tom Rahn (Jinx) at TOMRAHN@yahoo.com to join.