Court Rules Public Can’t See Michigan Car Insurance Fund’s Records

May 23, 2014

The Michigan appeals court says the public has no right to see the records of an insurance fund that puts a fee on cars to pay for catastrophic injuries.

The court said that the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association is not covered by a public records law. It overturned a 2012 decision by an Ingham County judge.

The insurance fund was created by the Legislature to reimburse insurers for claims that exceed $500,000. Michigan’s no-fault insurance law provides unlimited lifetime coverage for medical expenses tied to auto wrecks.

Motorists pay $186 per vehicle per year into the fund on top of their regular insurance. The rate can change each year.

A coalition of health care, labor and consumer organizations wants detailed information on how the fund calculates rates.