Short answer: A Flint motorcycle crash is not handled like a car crash. Under Michigan's No-Fault Act a motorcycle is not a "motor vehicle" (MCL 500.3101), so when a car or truck is involved, the rider's medical bills and wage loss are paid first by the insurer of that car or truck (MCL 500.3114(5)). When no car or truck is involved, no-fault PIP generally does not apply. A claim against the driver who caused the crash covers pain and suffering and must be filed within three years (MCL 600.5805).
Motorcycle deaths in Genesee County
From 2019 through 2024, 55 motorcyclists died in Genesee County crashes, 16.5 percent of everyone killed on the county's roads. The pattern is the one riders already know: a car or truck turning across the motorcycle.
| Motorcyclists killed | 55 (54 riders, 1 passenger) |
|---|---|
| Share of all county traffic deaths | 16.5% (statewide 15.7%) |
| Crashes that involved a car or truck | 37 of 55 |
| In those, the other driver was turning left | 19 of 37, 51% (statewide 40%) |
| At or near an intersection | 21 of 55 |
| At a driveway | 10 of 55 |
| From May through September | 45 of 55 |
| Inside the City of Flint | 24 of 55 |
| Riders killed who were not wearing a helmet | 31 of 55, 56% (statewide 45%) |
| Motorcyclists killed by year, 2019 to 2024 | 5, 11, 14, 7, 12, 6 |
NHTSA FARS, 2019 to 2024. Statewide comparisons are Michigan as a whole over the same years. Motorcyclists are riders and passengers of motorcycles and other motored cycles.
Dort Highway (M-54) had the most fatal motorcycle crashes in the county (7), followed by Saginaw Street (4). July was the worst month, with 14 of the 55.
Who pays a rider's medical bills
The priority order in MCL 500.3114(5) is the heart of a Michigan motorcycle claim. When a motorcycle operator or passenger is hurt in an accident involving a motor vehicle, PIP benefits are claimed in this order:
- The insurer of the owner or registrant of the car or truck involved.
- The insurer of the driver of that car or truck.
- The auto insurer of the motorcycle's operator (for a rider who insures a car, that is their own auto policy).
- The auto insurer of the motorcycle's owner or registrant.
A motorcycle insurance policy is usually not on that list. If none of these policies exists, the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan is the fallback (MCL 500.3172). In 18 of Genesee County's 55 fatal motorcycle crashes, no car or truck was involved. Then PIP generally does not apply, and medical bills fall to health insurance and any medical payments coverage on the motorcycle policy, so a road defect, spilled debris or a driver who forced the rider off the road without touching the bike deserves a close look.
Left-turn crashes and how fault is proved
Michigan law puts the duty on the turning driver: a driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic that is in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard (MCL 257.650). In 19 of the 37 Genesee County crashes that killed a rider and involved a car or truck, the other driver was turning left. A common defense is that the motorcycle was speeding or hard to see. The proof that answers it is perishable: the car's event data recorder, intersection and business video, the UD-10 crash report and its diagram, and the damage to both vehicles. Under comparative fault your damages are reduced by any share of fault that was yours, and pain and suffering is barred only if you were more than 50 percent at fault (MCL 500.3135(2)(b)).
Michigan's helmet law and your claim
Anyone under 21 on a motorcycle must wear a helmet. An operator 21 or older may ride without one only after holding a motorcycle endorsement for two years or passing a motorcycle safety course, and only with at least $20,000 of first-party medical coverage for motorcycle accidents in effect; a passenger 21 or older may ride without one if the passenger or the operator has that coverage (MCL 257.658). In Genesee County, 31 of the 55 motorcyclists killed from 2019 to 2024 were not wearing a helmet, above the statewide rate of 45 percent. Riding without a helmet does not bar a claim against the driver who caused the crash, but insurers often argue it made the injuries worse, especially head injuries. More in Michigan motorcycle helmet laws.
Deadlines for a Flint motorcycle claim
- PIP benefits: written notice to the insurer within one year of the crash; after that, a lawsuit recovers only expenses incurred in the year before it is filed (MCL 500.3145).
- Claim against the at-fault driver: three years (MCL 600.5805).
- A pothole or broken pavement: written notice to the road agency within 120 days (MCL 691.1404).
The injury deadline calculator turns your crash date into the dates.
Talk to a lawyer about your Flint motorcycle crash
Koussan Law represents riders hurt in Flint and across Genesee County on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing unless we win. Our main office is in Detroit at 821 W Milwaukee St. Call (313) 800-0000 or request a free consultation.
Flint motorcycle accident questions
Does Michigan no-fault cover a motorcycle accident?
Only when a motor vehicle is involved. Then the rider's PIP benefits come first from the insurer of the car or truck involved, under the priority order in MCL 500.3114(5). A crash with no car or truck involved generally falls outside no-fault.
Can I recover if I was not wearing a helmet?
You can still bring a claim against a driver who caused the crash. Insurers may argue that a helmet would have reduced your injuries, and comparative fault can reduce damages, so the medical evidence about how each injury happened matters.
The driver says they never saw me. Does that matter?
Not as an excuse in itself. A driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic close enough to be an immediate hazard (MCL 257.650), and not seeing a motorcycle that was there to be seen describes the failure to yield rather than excusing it.
How long do I have after a Genesee County motorcycle crash?
One year to give written notice of a PIP claim, three years to sue the at-fault driver, and only 120 days to give notice if a road defect caused the crash.
More for Flint riders
- Flint personal injury lawyer
- Flint car accident lawyer: Genesee County crash data and hit-and-run claims
- Michigan motorcycle accident lawyer
- Michigan motorcycle accident laws
- Lansing motorcycle accident lawyer
Sources
- NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), national data files for 2019 to 2024; the 2024 file is the most recent release and may be revised. Genesee County figures computed by Koussan Law from the crash, vehicle and person files.
- Michigan State Police, 2024 county crash statistics, as compiled in our Michigan traffic crash data by county report.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 county population estimates (used for the per-100,000 rates).
- Michigan Compiled Laws, legislature.mi.gov: MCL 500.3101, 500.3114, 500.3135, 500.3145, 500.3172, 257.650, 257.658, 691.1404, 600.5805.
Updated October 9, 2026. General information about Michigan law, not legal advice for your situation; the deadlines and coverage rules that apply to you depend on your facts and your policy.
