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“Without no-fault insurance…I’d lose everything I own”

A coalition of rehabilitation centers and people injured in car accidents is trying to stop proposed changes to Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance benefits.

The Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault is hosting town hall meetings across the state to educate people about the proposed changes. They’re also inviting people impacted by a major car accident to share their stories.

Three years ago Holland resident Judy Price was in the passenger seat when her daughter hit black ice. An oncoming SUV hit their small car when they spun out. She says the car was so messed up, rescuers didn’t discover her until they tried to get her dog trapped in the back seat. Price was in the hospital for six months with a traumatic brain injury.

“Without this no-fault insurance I’d be liable for my own bills. I’d lose my home. I’d lose everything I own and then I’d be on the tax dollar; staying in a nursing home,” Price said after a town hall meeting in Allendale Thursday. She wipes tears from her face. She explains how she and her daughter will never be the same physically or emotionally. But she says she’s grateful to still have her house.

Legislation clears committee

House Bill 4936 would cap medical fees and restrict the kind of care people who are badly hurt in car accidents could get. Supporters say the changes would result in lower auto insurance rates. The bill still needs approval from the State Senate and Governor Rick Snyder.

Judy Price doubts that insurance rates would go down much, if at all. She says what people are paying for insurance now is worth the security.

“I just know that this does not only affect the person that it happens to,” Price said, “It affects your whole family, everybody who cares and loves you.”

Find more coverage on Michigan's no-fault here.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said HB 4936 had cleared the state House. It has only been passed out of committee.

Lindsey Smith helps lead the station'sAmplify Team. She previously served as Michigan Public's Morning News Editor, Investigative Reporter and West Michigan Reporter.
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