{"id":165,"date":"2016-09-10T22:47:03","date_gmt":"2016-09-10T22:47:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nelsonboydlaw.com\/blog\/?p=165"},"modified":"2021-09-02T21:51:47","modified_gmt":"2021-09-02T21:51:47","slug":"what-you-need-to-know-about-motorcycle-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nelsonboydlaw.com\/blog\/publications\/what-you-need-to-know-about-motorcycle-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Need to Know About Motorcycle Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI Have Insurance”<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The fact that you have \u201csome\u201d<\/strong> insurance doesn\u2019t really mean anything.<\/p>\n

A lot of people don\u2019t understand what insurance coverage they have<\/span><\/strong>, let alone what \u00a0insurance coverage they should have<\/span><\/strong>, until it\u2019s too late. Many insurance agents are \u00a0unfamiliar with the special needs of bike owners, and some are too interested in getting your\u00a0business by \u201csaving you money\u201d than by selling you a good policy.<\/p>\n

Most people feel pretty comfortable with their insurance. That is because most people have\u00a0never had a significant claim. Your agent may be your friend \u2013 but your agent has nothing\u00a0to do with your claim should you have a wreck.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Insurance companies are split into two personalities: the \u201cmoney in\u201d part (your agent) and\u00a0the \u201cmoney out\u201d part (the claims adjusting group). If you have anything other than a very\u00a0minor claim, you will quickly find out that the \u201cmoney in\u201d door is a lot bigger and a lot\u00a0friendlier than the \u201cmoney out\u201d door. The minute you have a substantial claim, most\u00a0insurance companies treat you with all the respect they would treat an \u201coutside\u201d person who\u00a0is making a claim: as a stranger, not as a trusted customer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What you don\u2019t know will<\/span><\/strong> hurt you. I write this from the perspective of a lawyer that has\u00a0represented many, many riders who have been in wrecks only to find out that their \u201cfull\u00a0coverage\u201d<\/strong> policy doesn\u2019t begin to do what they need it to do. I have no financial interest in\u00a0this advice \u2013 I\u2019m not trying to sell you insurance. I am giving you real-world information to\u00a0protect you against the ruin that will come to you if you are in a wreck and don\u2019t have the kinds<\/span> of insurance coverage and the amounts<\/span> of insurance coverage that you need.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kinds<\/em> of Motorcycle Insurance Coverage<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

A typical insurance policy consists of the basic insurance agreement, plus amendments\u00a0(changes that are usually specific to a state), plus endorsements (changes that are special\u00a0to your policy). Amendments and endorsements may either add to the basic coverage or\u00a0subtract from it.<\/p>\n

The typical coverages that are available are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Bodily Injury Liability<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. Property Damage Liability<\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Uninsured\/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. Uninsured\/Underinsured Motorist Property Damage<\/em><\/li>\n
  5. Personal Injury Protection<\/em><\/li>\n
  6. Collision<\/em><\/li>\n
  7. Comprehensive\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n
  8. Towing & Storage<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So what is all this stuff??? The first thing you need to know is that there is no such thing<\/span> as\u00a0a standardized \u201cfull coverage\u201d policy.<\/strong> There is such a thing as a \u201cstate minimum\u201d policy, but\u00a0it is about as worthless as training wheels on a rocket. Insurance policies are like tattoos \u2013\u00a0no two are alike. So let\u2019s look at what kind<\/span> of coverages there are, and what amounts<\/span> of\u00a0coverage you need.<\/p>\n

    We\u2019ll work from the perspective of three typical wrecks.<\/p>\n

    Wreck A<\/span><\/strong> is nobody\u2019s fault. You are\u00a0coming home from Bike Night somewhere when a damn deer jumps out in front of you. You\u00a0lay it down, skin up your bike, and break your leg (never mind what happens to the deer).<\/p>\n

    Wreck B<\/span><\/strong> is your fault. You are enjoying a beautiful day, and you fail to yield when you\u00a0should have. You plow into the side of a minivan full of mom and dad and three kids. You\u00a0aren\u2019t hurt, but your new bike is toast. Unfortunately, the real problem is that the minivan\u00a0has a big dent in the side and everyone in it is yelling \u201cwhiplash.\u201d The next day, you get a\u00a0letter from a lawyer you\u2019ve seen on TV who says he\u2019s going to sue you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Wreck C<\/span><\/span> <\/strong>is the monster. You are riding along minding your own business and some fool on\u00a0his cell phone in an SUV \u201cdoesn\u2019t see you.\u201d As he changes lanes, he grinds you into the\u00a0guard rail. The bike you just spent six months customizing is a mess, and you are hurt bad\u00a0enough that you have to be taken by helicopter to the nearest trauma center. There you\u00a0undergo four hours of surgery, four days in intensive care, a second surgery, six more days\u00a0in the step-down unit, and go home to several months of physical therapy and rehab \u2013 all\u00a0while you are off work.<\/strong> You\u2019re going to have scars and a limp for the rest of your life. But\u00a0best of all, the SUV driver \u201cforgot\u201d to make his insurance payment, so his insurance was\u00a0cancelled, and his personal net worth is whatever cash he has in his wallet that day.<\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s start with what the State of Washington requires you to have. If you want to \u201cbe legal,\u201d\u00a0you only need to have coverages in the amount of:<\/h3>\n