How To Claim Insurance For A Motorcycle Accident? Complete Step-by-Step Guide

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For a motorcycle accident, how do you file an insurance claim? The first step is to contact a lawyer who is familiar with your legal options. In the event of an accident, it will be easier to deal with the consequences, regardless of who was at fault or how much damage was done to a car or person.

Claims for personal injury and those for property damage can be distinct. Accidents in which another vehicle is not involved can now be distinguished from accidents caused by another vehicle. You’ll also submit a few claims against the motorcycle rider’s insurance carrier. Some would take it up with the insurance provider for the person who was at fault in the accident.

Types Of Claims To File

Personal injury claims and property damage claims are the two sorts of motorbike claims that can be filed. We’ll go through this in more detail now:

#1. Personal injury claim

Other losses can also be covered by this, including injuries to the physical body. This is the result of a collision caused by the other driver’s negligence. Be successful in your assertion that the other party is at fault.

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#2. Property damage

The motorcycle has been damaged, and that’s what we’re talking about here. Those responsible for the accident will have to foot the bill for your damages. Now go after the person’s insurance company to get your money back. However, if the accident is all your fault and no other party is at fault, you should make an insurance claim. After that, make sure you have adequate protection in place.

Things To Collect From A Property Damage Claim

Recover the cheaper repair cost or even the motorcycle’s market value. This is right when the accident happened. Including the salvage value is not necessary in this situation. This is part of the process of claiming damages for the motorcycle. It’s important to know just how much money you’ll get for your motorcycle if it’s totaled. This is especially true if you’ve already sold it to someone else for the same price. However, it’s not the cost of the bike itself that’s the problem. Sentimental value is not taken into account in the calculation.

A lawsuit filed against a driver’s insurance company. In the meanwhile, you should contact your own insurance provider to file a claim. The amount you receive will now be heavily influenced by the terms of your insurance policy. This is also a test to see if you have adequate insurance.

#1. Comprehensive coverage

It’s best to focus on the specifics of the collision’s harm. For example, if you have comprehensive insurance, you can receive even more money if your bike is bent or destroyed.

#2. Collision coverage

If you and your motorcycle are involved in a collision, this is the best course of action. However, if the vehicle collides with a stationary object, the same rules apply. Consider a guardrail as an example. The maximum amount you can claim is based on the quantity of coverage you have acquired. Deductibles will be included in the insurance and must be paid out of your own money.

Insurance companies have yet to pay a dime for this. If the motorcycle’s worth or repair costs are less than the deductible, you cannot collect on a claim. Expect to see an increase in your insurance premiums if you file a claim. Pay for the repairs out of your own pocket to save money. In this manner, it is advisable to prevent increased insurance prices. Having an understanding of collision coverage may be helpful.

3 Kinds Of Losses Compensated

Most lawyers refer to these three losses or damages as compensable.

#1. Wage loss

This occurs as a result of a person’s inability to work. This is a direct result of the injuries sustained in a car collision. This includes the future loss of earning power. If you’re unable to return to work, this is the case.

#2.  Medical expenses

This includes medical costs such as hospital and doctor visits, prescription medication charges, and physical therapy fees. A motorcycle collision is all that is responsible for this.

#3. Suffering & pain

Mental agony, emotional distress, and a lack of enthusiasm in life are all examples of this. Injuries and damages that may have a long-term impact are to blame for all of these, as well. In addition to the shared accident responsibility, you will be able to lessen the damages. However, this is dependent on the state in where the accident has taken place. Certain damages incurred by motorbike accidents are subject to various rules in different states. Before you begin negotiating a fair and equitable settlement, you should get legal counsel.

Steps To Follow When Preparing For A Claim

When filing a claim for an accident involving another vehicle, follow the steps outlined below:

Consider the accident scene and take a lot of photos. In other words, do this before attempting to move the vehicles themselves. Focus a lot on the motorcycle’s damage. That includes the part of the vehicle that crashed with the bike. Take pictures of road gauges, skid marks, and anything else that will help determine how and where the accident occurred.

Inquire as to who was driving the vehicle that was involved in the collision. Be sure to include their name, license number, and address. Photograph or note down the vehicle’s license plate number. The make and type of the vehicle should also be included. Ask for the witnesses’ names and phone numbers. Their statements may be required by your lawyer as well. Let the officer know that you’ll be waiting for them when they come. Inquire about their driver’s license number and whether or not an accident report will be issued. An inadvertent report copy can be obtained by dialing this number.

Steps To Follow When Making A Claim

So, how do you file a claim for a motorbike accident with your insurance company? When you file a claim against your own firm, speak with an adjuster. You’ll be required to sign a claim form by one of them. For the form to be correct, you must fill it out. Get some repair estimates or proof of the motorcycle’s value to back up your claim. The other driver’s insurance company should be contacted to file a claim. They may not always tell the truth, so be prepared. There is only one thing on their mind: saving money.

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Report to the police whenever you are asked to make a claim against the at-fault party. Before the statute of limitations runs out, file or settle a lawsuit. After the deadline, contact your insurance company to file a claim. A claim against another motorist has a separate deadline.

Are there Insurance Benefits After a Motorcycle Accident?

Motorcycle Accidents Involving Vehicles Trigger No-Fault Benefits

In many motorbike accidents, additional cars are involved. Smaller bikes are frequently overlooked by motorists. Occasionally, riders will weave in and out of traffic in such a way that it increases the risk of a collision. The contents of a truck can cause a motorcycle rider to swerve out of the way, resulting in a collision.

Insurance benefits are available to the driver, passengers, and motorcyclists of a vehicle involved in a motorcycle collision under Michigan’s No-Fault Act. The purpose of the law is to safeguard those who have been harmed while operating a motor vehicle. Because the biker was not in the car when it crashed, his or her medical bills will almost certainly be covered. Anyone who gets hit by a car while driving a motorcycle or riding as a passenger can make a claim with their insurance company for the following:

  • The driver of a car that was engaged in a collision.
  • Car Crash Victim’s Motor Vehicle Driver
  • Auto insurance for the motorcycle rider
  • The vehicle insurance policy holder of the motorcycle.

The Michigan No-Fault Act ensures that motorcyclists will receive insurance coverage for their medical costs, missed income, attendant care costs, and replacement services as long as a motor vehicle was directly involved to the accident.

Mandatory Motorcycle Insurance Covers At-Fault Damages

Additional insurance benefits may still be available even if a motorcyclist is responsible for the collision, even if no-fault insurance does not cover all damages. If a biker is found to be at fault in a collision, they must carry necessary motorcycle insurance to cover their own damages. Damages awarded in a negligence action will be covered by these liability insurance benefits:

  • Damage to the property
  • Suffering and agony
  • a state of incapacity that lasts for a long time
  • Disfigurement
  • Damages that aren’t directly related to money

Mandatory motorcycle insurance, in contrast to no-fault insurance, has a personal injury cap of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident. Another $10,000 is covered in the event of property damage. Motorcycle riders have the option of increasing these limitations, but doing so carries a price. Non-economic losses from a catastrophic motorcycle accident might soon exceed the liability insurance of the cyclist, leaving the injured party to try to recover the remaining amount from the cyclist.

Motorcycle No-Fault Insurance Is Available

Optional insurance makes it possible for dedicated riders without any other cars to acquire no-fault insurance payouts in the event of an accident. Asphalt burns, fractured bones, and even head injuries can still occur if a motorcycle rider loses control or needs to put the bike down. Even if you don’t have a car, a motorcycle no-fault insurance coverage can cover all of your medical expenses.

After a motorbike accident, you may be able to collect insurance benefits from a variety of sources. Depending on your insurance selections and the circumstances of your accident, you may have different options for where to turn and what to do next. With the assistance of an experienced motorcycle lawyer, you may examine all of your insurance options and devise a plan to pay for all of your losses.

Our motorcycle accident lawyers at Macomb Law Group are well-versed in the financial burden that a crash-related medical bill may impose. You should contact Macomb Law Group if you or a loved one has been gravely wounded in a motorcycle accident.

How much is full-coverage motorcycle insurance?

Full-coverage motorcycle insurance is often more expensive than a simple policy with only liability insurance, even if your driving record, age, and motorcycle make and model are all taken into consideration. Full-coverage motorcycle insurance policies that contain the minimum necessary liability insurance, as well as collision and comprehensive insurance, cost an average of ten times more than acquiring the state’s minimal liability insurance and PIP coverage (when required).

Compare Cheap Motorcycle Insurance Quotes

What’s included in a full-coverage motorcycle insurance policy?

Collision and comprehensive insurance are included in full-coverage motorcycle policies, but your state’s minimum requirements are also included.

Insurance policies mandated by the state often include:

  • Damages for bodily harm
  • Damages to property
  • Coverage for uninsured motorists
  • Accidental death and dismemberment insurance

Collision and comprehensive coverage

In the case of a covered loss, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay for the repair or replacement of your motorcycle. Theft and “act of God” occurrences are covered by comprehensive coverage whereas damage caused by collisions with other vehicles or objects is covered by collision coverage. Flooding, flames, hail, and objects falling on your bike are all examples of this.

Seasonal motorcycle riders may find comprehensive coverage to be especially beneficial, as it safeguards their vehicle when it is in storage. In other words, even if you don’t ride your bike very often or it isn’t riding season, you are still insured from harm.

If your bike is damaged in an accident and you make a claim, your insurance company will cover the cost of repairs or replacement (as long as your claim is approved). Most insurance policies cover your bike up to its current market worth, or actual cash value.

If your motorcycle is totaled in an accident, you may be able to purchase a brand new one if you choose to expand your insurance coverage to replacement cost for newer models. If you own a custom bike, you can also purchase insurance that cover the cost of repairing or replacing your bike’s unique characteristics.

Full-coverage motorcycle insurance may not cover items like fairings, saddlebags, windshields, and luggage racks. Some insurers, such as Progressive, automatically include a specific amount of accessory insurance; this is $3,000 for Progressive. In some cases, you can only get it as an add-on to your collision and comprehensive coverage, while in others it may not be an option at all.

For custom components, original equipment manufacturer parts, and new car replacement, it is necessary to examine your policy’s limitations.

Bodily injury and property damage liability

Injuries to one’s body and to one’s property In the event of an accident, your liability insurance will pay for any damages you inflict on other drivers and their property. Liability insurance would cover the $10,000 in damage to the other driver’s vehicle and the $10,000 in medical bills if you were to smash your motorcycle into their vehicle and injure the other driver. Riders in many states are obliged to carry these types of insurance policies. It is, nonetheless, strongly recommended that you purchase a policy that includes liability coverage, even if it is not mandated by law.

Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage

This type of insurance covers you in the event of an accident caused by a driver who does not have adequate liability insurance or does not have any insurance at all. Bodily injury and property damage are the two types of UM/UIM coverage that are similar to the liability insurance we described earlier.

Bodily damage UM/UIM coverage will pay if you are hurt by an uninsured or underinsured driver who does not have enough liability coverage to cover your expenses. In the same way, UM/UIM property damage insurance covers harm to your bike caused by a driver who does not have appropriate property damage liability limits in their policy.

Personal injury protection

Insurance that covers your medical costs and lost wages in the event of an accident, regardless of who is at blame, is known as personal injury protection (PIP). PIP is mandated in a third of states, but it is also offered in nearly half of those states where it is available. If you have PIP, you can anticipate your medical bills to be reimbursed more promptly than if you had liability insurance, which only pays out if one party is found to be at fault in a collision.

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Should you get full-coverage motorcycle insurance?

There are two considerations to consider when deciding whether or not to purchase full-coverage insurance over the legally needed liability coverage: the worth of your motorcycle and whether or not it is your primary source of transportation.

Full motorcycle insurance should be considered if your motorcycle is more than $5,000 in value or if it is a vintage or unique model. With a bike of this value, you can justify the higher prices for comprehensive and collision coverage.

Increased insurance costs will certainly outweigh the benefits of coverage for motorcycles under $5,000. A cheaper alternative may be to get a policy without collision or comprehensive coverage and save the money you would have otherwise spent by doing the repairs yourself.

But we advise riders to get their own quotations and assess their own safety and financial position before deciding against full coverage.

Even if you only ride your motorcycle sometimes, you should look into getting a full-coverage policy to protect your investment. There will be no waiting around to get your vehicle repaired if your collision coverage is activated in the event of an accident. Since your bike will be repaired sooner than if you merely had liability coverage, you’ll save money. Similarly, if your bike is stolen and you don’t have the money to replace it, you won’t be without a vehicle if you have comprehensive coverage.

FAQs

Why is full-coverage motorcycle insurance more expensive?

Full-coverage motorcycle insurance is more expensive than a standard liability policy mostly because insurance companies perceive motorcycle riders as extremely likely to be involved in an accident. This indicates that your insurance company considers that you are likely to file a collision claim, and hence will be more expensive for it to cover.

Which company has the cheapest full-coverage motorcycle insurance?

When it comes to motorbike insurance costs, factors such as where you live and your age can have a considerable impact. With an average annual fee of $593, Nationwide is the best option for full-coverage motorcycle insurance. Additionally, Nationwide provides a wide choice of coverage limits, disappearing deductible, and excellent customer service.

It’s A Wrap!

In order to file a motorbike accident insurance claim, follow the steps outlined here. These are going to simplify the process of filing an insurance claim, which was previously difficult. If you’re a rider who is seriously injured by a careless driver, this is true. To begin, contact a personal injury attorney. After that, you’ll be compensated fairly for your injuries as a result of the accident. Make sure you understand why you need auto insurance and how you may pay for it.

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