---
title: Why “Storage Only” Auto Insurance Might Leave You Exposed in Michigan
---

# Why “Storage Only” Auto Insurance Might Leave You Exposed in Michigan

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## Why “Storage Only” Auto Insurance Might Leave You Exposed in Michigan

- Posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2025

In Michigan, it’s common for people to remove coverage from vehicles they aren’t using—especially in the winter. They’ll keep only **comprehensive** coverage (to protect against things like theft, vandalism, and weather damage) and drop everything else. This is known as putting a vehicle “in storage” with your insurance company.

But here’s what many people don’t realize: this move doesn’t just impact your vehicle. It can actually leave _you_ personally unprotected in some major ways.

### 🛑 You Lose Liability and Collision Coverage

Let’s start with the obvious. When you switch to storage-only, you lose liability and collision coverage. That means:

- You legally can’t drive the car—even just around the block

- If someone hits your parked vehicle, you likely won’t have coverage to repair it

- You may lose long-term policy perks like accident forgiveness or multi-line discounts

But that’s just the beginning.

### 🚨 You Also Lose PIP—Personal Injury Protection

This one’s a big deal in Michigan. When you remove all but comprehensive coverage from a vehicle, **you’re also removing the PIP benefits tied to that vehicle.** And in Michigan, PIP isn’t just for accidents _you cause while driving._

It can cover:

- **You as a pedestrian** hit by a car

- **You as a passenger** in someone else’s car

- **Your child** riding in a friend’s vehicle or walking to school

- **Injuries from getting in or out of a car** , even if it’s not moving

### 📍Real-World Examples:

- **You’re walking across a parking lot** and get struck by a car. If you’ve removed PIP from all your vehicles, you may not have coverage for medical bills or lost wages.

- **Your teenager rides with a friend** who gets into a crash. If your auto policy was the source of their PIP coverage and you dropped it to storage-only, they may have none.

- **You’re injured while helping someone move** —loading or unloading a car. Again, no PIP = no medical or rehab coverage unless another policy steps in (and that’s not guaranteed).

### ⚠️ Michigan’s No-Fault Law Doesn’t Automatically Protect You

In the past, Michigan’s no-fault system guaranteed medical coverage no matter what. But the 2020 reform changed that. Today, your **PIP coverage must be active on a vehicle you insure** in order for you and your family to receive full no-fault benefits.

When you go to storage-only, you’re essentially opting out of those protections.

### 🧠 So, When Does Storage-Only Make Sense?

It might be the right choice if:

- You’re storing a car long-term (e.g., over the winter in a private garage)

- You’re _still insured on another vehicle_ with full PIP coverage

- You fully understand the risks—and are OK with them

But if you only own one car and drop it to storage-only, **you’re completely removing your safety net** for many common (and expensive) accident scenarios.

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