The Call of the Road – Motorcycle Insurance Recommendations

Posted on March 31, 2022 at 8:00 AM by The Biker Lawyers

The Call of the Road; The Drug of Choice

He was a good, quiet motorcyclist until one day he rode his motorcycle down the wrong road.

That’s when everything changed for him, and it changed him forever.

He can’t help himself; he just has to be on his bike at all times. He knows there’s a risk of a motorcycle accident. He knows what will happen if he gets into a wreck, so every time he is on his bike, it’s like playing Russian roulette with his life.

He tries to be a safe rider, but the truth is he loves the risk, the control, and the potential to lose it all. He’s addicted to the ride and the uncertainty. The thrill of the ride, no matter how long, is his drug of choice.

He needs that rush. He has to ride. 

One day he was cruising down a multi-lane road and a motorist merged into his lane without warning, causing the biker to brake hard to avoid a collision. The biker blared his horn, but the motorist sped off remorseless. This, unfortunately, was not an unusual happening for the biker.

Other motorists regularly cut him off, as though he were invisible.

The worst was the time a car turned left in front of him in a busy intersection. Only heavy braking and a swerve at the last split-second had kept him from disaster.

He often wondered how motorists could so consistently fail to see him on his bike.

Despite all the near disasters, he always managed to make it through. Since so many motorists acted as though he were invisible, he had long ago decided to ride as though he were.

A few minutes later, the biker noticed a police officer behind him with cherries blazing, motioning him to pull over.

The police officer told the biker he was looking for a black motorcycle that had blown through a red light several blocks back at ten miles per hour over the speed limit. Yes, the biker’s motorcycle was black, undoubtedly the most common color in the motorcycle world. Despite his protest, the cop ticketed the biker for speeding at ten over.

The biker knew he had been a bit over the speed limit, but if he had gone through a red light, he sure as hell hadn’t noticed it. He was an aggressive rider, but cautious and defensive at the same time. The biker wanted to fight the ticket, but he really had no idea how fast he’d been going.

He felt pissed at the cop, at himself, and the world. As soon as he was out of the officer’s line of sight, he sped back into traffic. He felt the wind blowing in his face and the hot pavement beneath him. The anger started to melt away, as it always did. He felt invincible. Everything was his to conquer.

Suddenly, a truck swerved in front of him. He barely had time to hit his brakes before he heard the sound of crushing metal and breaking glass. In the next instant, the biker was on the pavement, tumbling and sliding out of control.

As his body came to rest, the biker could see bones sticking out of his left leg through torn jeans. Despite wearing a helmet, he had an immediate crushing headache. There was intense pain just below his chest. As he attempted to move, the pain only intensified. It was at this sickening moment that the biker realized he could not feel his legs.

He closed his eyes and when he reopened them there was an old man, framed by the sun, looking at the biker with terror. The old man told the biker what he already knew: He hadn’t seen him. The old man apologized repeatedly, as the biker slipped into shock.

The biker awakened in a hospital bed, not knowing how much time had passed. His leg had been splinted back into place, but he still couldn’t feel anything below his waist. The drugs they had given him must have been incredible, as he could barely feel pain in his ribs. He could see in the mirror facing his bed that his face was more scab than skin.

Now he has no idea what comes next, or what to do. He’s busted up, scared, and has no idea how he’ll pay for what’s to come.

The Moral of the Story

We become better riders the more riding experience we get. There are times, however, when even the skills of the best biker are not good enough. That’s one reason to think about what could happen and take steps to protect self and family.

Let’s face it: Insurance is a boring topic. We don’t want to think about disaster, but we must be aware it can happen. Remember – one in eight motorists has no insurance at all. Of the rest, most do not carry enough insurance to fully pay a badly injured biker for the losses caused by a crash.

A biker without insurance may find himself facing a huge pile of medical bills, with the double whammy of not being able to work for several months. This is why it’s critical to have the right insurance in place before ever straddling that hog.

Liability insurance – which pays for losses a biker causes to someone else – is important, but pales in comparison to uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage.

We know that many people don’t think they need motorcycle insurance. Many don’t understand that the right coverage goes far beyond simple liability insurance. That’s why we wanted to spotlight how important it is to protect yourself when you ride, not just with safe riding practices and proper gear, but with the right type and amount of insurance.

When we buy our bikes, we usually sign up for a policy, but is it the right one? What is “full coverage”? What about those other drivers who either don’t have insurance or don’t have nearly enough?

Insurance Breakdown

The point here is not to slam all insurance agents, but there are many who are more interested in selling a policy, any policy than they are in making sure you have all the right coverages. After all, these insurance companies compete by claiming to have the lowest prices.

While it’s good to save money on insurance, the savings should NOT come from failing to buy important coverages such as uninsured and uninsured motorist coverage (UM and UIM).

Minimum coverages we recommend (based on far too many real-life experiences)

 Type of Insurance: 

 What it’s for: 

 Recommended Amount of Coverage: 

Liability

 When someone sues you.

 $250,000 per person / $500,000 per incident

UM/UIM

 The other guy has no insurance (or not enough).

 $250,000 per person / $500,000 per incident

Property Damage

 To pay for other people’s property.

 Minimum of $25,000 per incident

Medical Payments

 Medical bills for the biker and passenger.

 $25,000

Pays for medical expenses not covered by health insurance.

Collision/Comprehensive

 Pays for biker’s motorcycle regardless of fault.

 Book value of bike + add-ons

 Make sure coverage is for full replacement cost, not depreciated cost.

Umbrella

 Pays amounts in excess of the above coverages.

 $1,000,000 minimum*

*About Umbrella Coverage

That wasn’t a typo. We recommend one million dollars as a minimum. We know, it sounds like a lot but umbrella insurance is super cheap and can save a biker from financial ruin in the event of a bad crash.

Important note: You need to specifically tell the insurance agent to make sure the umbrella covers UM/UIM, as this is the most important coverage for a biker. Don’t just tell this to the agent over the phone; send an email. Make a paper trail. Be sure the umbrella covers UM/UIM.

AT THE END OF THE ROAD…

No matter how skilled the biker is, accidents are sometimes unavoidable. That’s why it’s crucial to have the right motorcycle insurance coverage. A roadway crash causes far more consequences to a biker than it does to the driver of a car. Make sure the insurance policy reflects that.

What to do when an accident happens

First, download this free guide. We understand that when an accident happens, you may not be thinking clearly. Even now, while you are thinking clearly, you don’t have time to learn the ins and outs of medical liens, insurance companies, and how to make sure you get a fair deal if you’re in an accident.

It’s tough to know where to turn and who to ask for help. The other guy’s insurance company may act like they care, but when it comes time to put up the cash, they will pay you as little as they can get away with.

Never forget: The insurance company has an enormous information advantage over almost everybody it deals with. Do not get caught with only a knife when it turns into a gunfight.

So, the question becomes, who to trust?

How about the guys that have been here from the start?

How about a group of focused professionals who spent far too much time in school learning how to help with these exact problems?

How about a law firm that works exclusively on the side of bikers?

How about The Biker Lawyers?

For over 35 years, we’ve been there for the motorcycle community. We ride with you because we are you. We’ve been fighting for bikers as they ride the road to recovery. We work for bikers and fight like hell to get them the right amount of money to cover everything needed to recover -finances, health, and back on the road to a normal life.

We ride for our community, and we fight for our people. Because if we don’t protect our own, who will?

Want to learn more? Click the image below or call (877) 209-9452 and get in touch for a free meeting today.

Image of a man on a motorcycle to promote a free consultation with The Biker Lawyers, P.C.

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