LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Hundreds of advocates and car crash survivors gathered at the capitol Tuesday to call for new laws that would help provide care to more than 7,000 crash survivors who lost their benefits after Michigan made changes to its no-fault law in 2019.
Advocates say that the situation has led to a care crisis that has led to people dying.
“I’m asking them to give us those benefits and all the things that we’re entitled to,” said Quinton Williams, who was in an auto accident 30 years ago. “I basically do have the care … But It’s limited care. I was in an auto accident, a T-bone that caused me to have a traumatic brain injury. Which I suffer from today.”
Advocates like him say the change to Michigan’s no-fault auto law back in 2019 cut reimbursement for at-home caregivers practically in half and restricted the time they work per week to 56 hours when most survivors need care 24 hours a day. Advocates blame those changes for at least 14 deaths, and for putting 14,000 at-home caregivers out of work.
Williams said he will never walk again, but it would mean a lot to him and other survivors to see the law standing on their side. Today’s rally brought out lawmakers who want to see a change.
Tuesday’s rally came after some lawmakers introduced two senate bills that will address the care crisis hundreds of auto crash victims are facing. The bills introduced last week will reimburse caregivers and extend the number of weekly hours they work.
People who support the 2019 changes to the law, including the insurance industry, say the current law not only helps cut down on what they call “over-charging” for health care… it made car insurance more affordable for everyone in Michigan.
