• Home
  • Blog
  • News
  • Can An Illegal Alien Receive Michigan No-Fault benefits?

Can An Illegal Alien Receive Michigan No-Fault benefits?

Written by Steven Matz on . Posted in .

“Can an illegal alien receive Michigan No-Fault benefits?”

It’s possible, if the person resides with a relative who has auto insurance (or if the “undocumented” person has obtained his or her own auto insurance). If a person is injured in a car accident in Michigan, as long as the person is not in an uninsured vehicle that he or she owns, the person is entitled to no-fault benefits whether the person is in the U.S. legally or not. The courts have ruled that the wording of the No-Fault Act does not exclude undocumented people from the list of people who can apply for no-fault medical benefits. If the legislature wanted to exclude undocumented people from the no-fault system, it would be free to do so, but it has not.

Of course, it is important to keep in mind that undocumented individuals may be detained or deported if they are identified, and that using false identification papers is a crime for citizens and undocumented persons alike, as is failing to report income or wages for tax purposes.

But the point of this entry is to answer the basic question of whether a person in the country illegally can claim no-fault benefits (for example to pay medical expenses) from the no-fault policy of a relative that person lives with in Michigan. And the answer to that question is “yes.”

Source: 272 Mich App 410

Steven Matz

Written By Steven Matz

Steven Matz
Steven J. Matz is a founding shareholder of Matz Injury Law. The firm’s concentration is on personal injury litigation, with an emphasis on traumatic brain injury. Mr. Matz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with high distinction and highest honors in 1974 from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor degree in 1977 from The George Washington University National Law Center. Mr. Matz lectures and publishes in a number of areas, including ethics, marketing, trial tactics, and head injury. Mr. Matz has served on the Michigan Association for Justice Executive Board and currently serves the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board as a Hearing Panel Chairman and Master. He is also a member of the State Bar Committee for Character and Fitness.
View Author Profile
array digital logo
© Matz Injury Law.

View Blog

The maximum contingency fee permitted by law is actually 33 1/3%. Michigan court rules require that the attorney fee be computed on the net sum recovered after deducting all disbursements properly chargeable to the enforcement of the claim.

What does 22not33 mean, exactly?

We can charge 22% while virtually all other injury attorneys charge 33 1/3% because we are very, very, good at obtaining results for our clients. 

We do not spend millions of dollars on television ads; instead, we offer a lower fee to all our clients.  We do not have dozens of lower paid associates handling our work. All our clients are represented by Steven and Jared Matz. Steven Matz started the firm in 1977 and since then has dedicated his life to representing injury victims.  Jared joined the firm in 2016 but grew up listening to stories, discussing theories, and generally learning at the dinner table about how to effectively and compassionately represent injury victims. Jared Matz was literally born to represent individuals involved in motor vehicle crashes.

All of our cases are handled on a contingency fee and all our cases are handled at 22%. Whether the case settles or goes through trial, the fee does not change. While our competitors make excuses as to why they charge so much, we are obtaining results for our clients at a lower fee.

At a typical television advertising law firm, your first call will be handled by a receptionist, who may refer you to an intake person, who will discuss your claim with an intake manager, who then discusses your claim with an associate, who may then report to a partner. You may never speak with the person whose name is at the top of the letterhead. At Matz Injury Law you will always speak with either Steven Matz or Jared Matz.

Lets Talk Close window
WAIT! TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR LOWER RATE OF 22%

22 not 33

Other firms charge 33%
We win or you don't pay | 24/7 Team Support | Over 10k Cases Of Experience

START MY CLAIM

No thanks, I’m not interested!