Steven M. Gursten Automobile Accidents Law Blog on Lawyers.com

There is no PIP benefit that is so often overlooked as medical mileage.  Many people fail to submit it to their claims adjuster, and as such, hundreds or thousands of dollars in gas and mileage reimbursement vanishes and the accident victim is out of luck. That’s a shame, because medical mileage is such an easy and simple PIP benefit to recover.

Michigan auto accident victims are entitled to medical mileage reimbursement under Michigan’s No-Fault Law for the miles they travel going to and from medical and treatment appointments.

They may also be entitled to reimbursement for other medical-related travel expenses such as reasonable transportation fees, parking fees, gas, oil, tolls and other expenses arising out of the victims’ use of their vehicles to obtain medical treatment and other treatments for their accident-related injuries.

Under Michigan’s No Fault Law, MCL 500.3107(1)(a), a Michigan auto accident victim is entitled to medical mileage reimbursement and reimbursement for other medical-related travel expenses only if the mileage and expenses are reasonably necessary to her accident-related care, recovery or rehabilitation:

“[P]ersonal protection insurance benefits [PIP benefits] are payable for … [a]llowable expenses consisting of all reasonable charges incurred for reasonably necessary products, services and accommodations for an injured person’s care, recovery or rehabilitation.”

The critical factor in establishing that a Michigan auto accident victim is entitled to medical mileage reimbursement under Michigan’s No-Fault Law is showing the mileage that the victim has traveled to and from medical and treatment appointments.

An auto accident victim’s medical mileage is most commonly verified through a medical mileage reimbursement statement, which will specify the following:

• The date on which medical mileage was traveled.
• The doctor and/or treatment facility that the victim visited.
• The total mileage traveled round-trip.

Michigan auto accident victims may also receive reimbursement from their No-Fault auto insurance company for medical-related travel expenses other than medical mileage.

Those reimbursable expenses may include:

• Reasonable transportation fees.
• Parking fees.
• Gas.
• Oil.
• Tolls.
• Other expenses arising out of a victim’s use of his or her vehicle to obtain medical treatment and other treatments for his or her accident-related injuries.

To show that he is entitled to reimbursement for medical-related travel expenses other than medical mileage, an auto accident victim must list his expenses on a medical-related travel expense reimbursement and medical mileage reimbursement form.

The victim must also supply receipts to substantiate his claimed medical-related travel expenses.

The Michigan auto accident victim’s No-Fault insurance company pays for the victim’s medical mileage reimbursement and reimbursement for other medical-related travel expenses.

The No-Fault Law imposes no limits on the amount of an auto accident victim’s
medical mileage reimbursement and reimbursement for other medical-related travel expenses.

However, a Michigan auto accident victim is entitled to medical mileage reimbursement and reimbursement for other medical-related travel expenses only if the charges are reasonable and the expenses are reasonably necessary for the victim’s care, recovery or rehabilitation.

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Check out my Michigan Auto Lawyers Blog for related information including:

Michigan No-Fault insurance resource center

Your No-Fault insurance benefits

Michigan No-Fault Law 101 - How to fill out an application for benefits

Michigan Personal Injury Attorney Steven Gursten is one of the nation’s top No-Fault attorneys handling car accident cases. He is head of Michigan Auto Law and president of the Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Association. Steve frequently writes about the Michigan No-Fault law and is available for comment.

Michigan Auto Law exclusively handles car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. We have offices in Farmington Hills, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights to better serve you. Call (800) 777-0028 for help from a Michigan No-Fault attorney.