Motorcycle Rider – Insurance I Need – How Much Coverage
A lot of clients ask me about the best type of insurance to have when operating a motorcycle accident. I write this for two reasons, one because I see so many cases that go wrong because of improper insurance coverage and also to educate riders. Read below for more information.
Coverage’s in for Motorcycle Riders
If you ride a motorcycle here is what you need to have in terms of coverage. Uninsured and under-insured coverage is an absolute MUST. You need to have both of these types of coverage’s and they should be at a minimum of $100,000/$300,000. Uninsured motorist coverage will apply if the party who hit you was NOT insured at the time of coverage. This will be important if you get hit my a uninsured motorist, who has ZERO assets and leaves you in bad shape. In this situation you will be able to get recovery from your own insurance for the injuries you sustained.
Under-insured coverage is a bit different. This will allow you to seek recovery from your own insurance company in the event that the at-fault party has little to no coverage. This is particularly true when you are dealing with a minimum policy, which in California does not need to be more than $15,000/$30,000. Therefore, you want to make sure you are protected in the event that you are hit by someone not carrying enough coverage.
Generally, you never want to ensure or trust your safety in the hands of others. If you ride a motorcycle you understand that it is inherently dangerous and you’re subject to more risk. As a result you need to make sure you are properly protected with enough insurance.
Also remember California is an anti-stacking state, thank your legislature. This means you CANNOT STACK your policies. Here is an example, you cannot take the full policy from the person who hit you and add it on-top of your own policy as well. This can get more complicated, if you need a better explanation call the office we will give you a better fact pattern.
What does $100,000/$300,000 Mean?
A lot of clients want to know what the second number means in the insurance policy. Typically, the second set of digits means that the global policy is no greater than that number. This will be a problem if you have a passenger or if multiple parties were hurt. Generally speaking this won’t be an issue in motorcycle accident cases because you are solo rider or only carry a single passenger. If you do happen to carry a passenger your uninsured or under-insured policy will also extend to them for coverage. Although, you still will not be able to recover more than $100,000 per person, if that is the way your policy is structured.
Finally, this is not an exhaustive list of what you should consider and I am not an insurance agent. However, I thought it would be beneficial to our clients and readers to have this information. Remember, that if you ride an accident is almost inevitable and generally the injuries will be more serious than if you were in a vehicle. Thus, you must make sure that you take every available step necessary to protect your health and that of your families.
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