The Truth About Motorcycle Accidents (reprinted) {LONG}

[VOL600RR]

Originally Posted by pbureau69

I have Geico, and I pay over 180$/months for my bike in insurance Ie : read fully loaded to the gills insurance with 100$/deductible)

You have to be kidding, $180 mth on a 500cc bike! That has to be more than you mthly pymnt. I have State Farm Insurance on a 600RR, $58 a mth., and have never had one problem from them. They have paid a off one for me and paid for the damages one that was turned over in parking lot, also paid for the damaged helmet. If I was you, I would be looking into your "fully loaded" policy. I personally think they saw you coming and took full advantage of you and your wallet.

[jdaugherty33]

Anyone ever dealt with uninsured motorist coverage?!? This one really makes you love insurance companies - I was hit by an uninsured motorist in 1986. I was on my parent's StateFarm policy and they carried a big uninsured motorist policy. StateFarm (our insurance company that accepted our money for years) hired the best lawyer in town to represent the guy who hit me. I got screwed in the end by their rock-star lawyer and what I think was the jury's disdain for teenage motorcyclists. Fuckers.

[Mani-1]

I just got waked on the freeway and the guy who hit me ran. I ended up bouncing off of another car and knocking my self out in the process. Sort of a minor accident until I got the police report which put the full blame on me. I wrote an amendment to the report and filed it but the cop will not change the original report even though I was knocked out with a busted shoulder and was ambulanced to the hospital. He didn't really take my statement and went by what the other driver said. What she said is correct but the guy who originally hit me is no where to be found. Glad I have a good medical insurance policy but given the fact that I was not badly hurt I wasn't too effected other than having my driving record messed up for no reason. Now I need to go read my insurance policy and medical coverage to see if this riding to work thing is worth it.

[ledtrip]

this brings up the classic question:
if everyone else has insurance then why do i need it?

[jdaugherty33]

Originally Posted by ledtrip

this brings up the classic question:
if everyone else has insurance then why do i need it?

If a motorist uses their uninsured motorist policy to cover anything that is your fault, the insurance company can come after you for the funds after the fact.

[mr.verseys]

man this is so rite on. I just got hit about 2wks ago. The cager tried to pull a hit and run.Luckily for me a good "person" followed the perp to her destination and got her plate# make &model of vechile and came back to the scene and gave the po-po all the info they needed. I'm lucky, my injuries were minimal an I had Eye witnesses. So all my cost's will be covered. The cops were very helpful and concerned for my well being.In less than 2min after my accident po-po was on the scene and less than 4min the ambulance was there.The perp was brought bac to the scene and issued several tickets. Everything was happening so fast around me. It was surreal.I was lucky I just walked away from this accident with minor road rash. I had on my gear which saved me alot of injuries and pain. Our MSF coaches drilled us about wer'in proper gear. And how sometimes your going to be in sutuations were's theres nothing you can do to avoid being hit. I'll never forget those words "try to stop the bike and hope for the best". Also get the highest insurance coverage.

[ridesideways]

this reminds of a time when i witnessed an accident at a shopping mall intersection. i hung around to give an eye-witness statement to the police. sure enough when the police should up, they were far more interested in yelling at everyone to "clear the scene", rather than trying to see if there were any eye-witnesses. i walked over to talk to the cop to tell him i was an eye-witness and before i could even finish my sentence he was yelling, "get the f**k out of here!" so i shrugged my shoulders and left.

[ktravelet]

Originally Posted by Merlyn

If the person that hits you runs a red light, that's what the cop will give them a ticket for, and likely nothing more. If they make an illegal left-hand turn in front of you, they'll get a ticket for failure to yield to right of way.

I don't understand why this is so upsetting. They shouldn't get extra fines for hitting a motorcycle. We understand the risk we take by riding a motorcycle. If a person driving an SUV hits someone, and hurts them they don't get extra fines for that. Other then that Good article if its definitely true.

[ElTejano]

Originally Posted by cruzinZ

this needs to be a stickey. Something that everyone needs to read!

I prefer reading something shorter and less boring like War and Peace and Roots.

[Jazzie Sensation]

I got into a really serious accident during the end of the summer in 2005. A car pulled out of a parking into a illegal U-turn and I t-boned into it (I tried to swerve but the car paused in the mist of his u-turn, so I ended up hitting the rear tire of the driver side). I admit I was going over the speed limit by maybe 20 mph (I think) in addition, I was really angry with something that had occured prior to me getting on my bike and I sped through traffic via white line and then it happen. I was flung to the other side of the road (on coming traffic) and was runned over. The driver fo the car proceeded with his U-turn parked the car and gave the cops another story. The police report had other details on it- as a matter of fact the report did not indicate that I was on a motorcycle it stated that Iwas a pedestian that was Jay-Walking. Anyway, I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Thankfully I am okay and lived to ride again My insurance company sucks (they were cut off), my medical insurance refused to pay any bills and I was stuck with a crashed bike, messed up helmet and a major hole in one of my armored riding jacket. That list does not include the physical injuries and pain I underwent. As a matter of fact my left sholder is still dislocated and still hurts. When I was ready to ride again (summer of 2006) I was nervous at first-to the point that I counldn't breath but I got over that quick cause I love to ride. That was the worse accident I've gotten into the other 2 were minor. I guess I'm learning the hard way. LOL

[endoman]

Sorry to disagree with most people in this thread, and I'm very sorry that some of you have been "ripped off" by insurance companies, but here's the real truth about motorcycle accidents and insurance.

1. Before you get on a motorcycle, you should, at a bare minimum, have comprehensive motorcycle insurance with liability coverage of at least $250,000 and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage of at least $250,000. You should also have proper medical coverage. This will instantly solve almost every complaint in this thread. If you can’t afford this kind of coverage, you can’t afford to ride your bike. End of story. Buy a smaller bike or find a hobby you can afford. Proper insurance is a cost of riding. It’s not a luxury item.

2. Don’t do anything illegal. Sure, we all like to speed once in a while, but if you break any laws while riding in traffic, you deserve everything you get. Not only are you risking tickets and your own safety, you’re risking the safety of other people. If you are involved in a genuine accident (and not an “accident” where you were speeding, overtaking on the inside etc.), the cops are very, very cool. Many of them ride. Most of them ride safely. Most of them have an intense dislike for idiots who give bikers a bad name by acting like morons on the street. If you are in an accident through no fault of your own, the cops are on your side. Not to mention that since you went down at a sane speed, you’re more likely to be conscious and on the scene to give your side of the story. If you are in an accident because you were speeding, tough. Speed limits are there for a reason.

3. If you ride without gear, expect no sympathy from insurance companies, cops and juries. There’s a concept called “mitigation of risk/loss” – basically, if you know you’re likely to get hurt doing something and you take no steps to minimize the injuries, you’re out of luck, but if you take reasonable steps to mitigate the injuries (e.g. MSF course, helmet, boots, gloves, jacket, back protector, and riding pants) each and every time you ride, then insurance companies, cops and juries will be on your side.

4. Make sure your bike is registered correctly, you have valid plates, and you have a valid license. It’s just retarded to ride without a license or proper registration. Why give the insurance companies a chance to refuse coverage based on a technicality?

That’s about it. I hate to say this, but it’s typically the young, semi-employed (or unemployed) riders who think that the only cost of owning a bike is the bare minimum liability insurance. Insurance is not there simply as a formality to make you “legal” on the road. It’s there for a reason – that reason being you’re likely to get injured if you fall and you can’t afford to pay the medical bills out of your own pocket. Riding without medical insurance is stupid. Riding without enough underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage is stupid. End of story.

There’s no insurance company rip off or plan to defraud everybody. The problem lies with the kids who can barely afford the payments on a GSXR 1000 and the cheapest, minimum levels of insurance. Your insurance coverage levels should be determined by what you can afford to lose (which for most of us is next to nothing, meaning we need the highest levels of insurance). The guys financing your bike are only concerned about you trashing the bike if you fall off. They don’t care about you trashing yourself.
Insurance is as vital to your riding as a helmet or gasoline. In my opinion, it’s equally important as dressing for the crash each and every time you get on the bike, if not more so. If you cannot afford the coverage for a major hospitalization (whether you’re hit by someone else who is uninsured or if you fall off on your own), you should not be riding – or certainly you should not be complaining about how unfair insurance is.

Me? I carry $500,000 liability, comprehensive, and under/uninsured motorist. I also have personally contacted my health insurance company to make sure I am covered fully in the event of a motorcycle accident. It’s not that much more expensive than the cheap junk insurance most riders carry. And when I had my accident last year (in traffic, doing NOTHING illegal at the time, and also doing nothing illegal beforehand for witnesses to see), the cops were great. Cited the other driver. Witnesses were cooperative because they saw me as the victim, not the instigator or jointly at fault. Health insurance paid for everything – surgery, the whole lot. Both my insurance company and the company covering the driver have been great because the police statements and witness statements show that I am not a risk-taker. And I’m looking at a settlement that will not just put everything back the way it was, but will also give me a damn tasty chunk of cash to play with when all is said and done.

Sorry – I just have no sympathy for people who ride, get hit, then complain that insurance is the problem. It’s simply not true, and if anything, the article at the top of this thread encourages people to get less insurance (to avoid being ripped off) rather than more.

[Jazzie Sensation]

Originally Posted by endoman

Sorry to disagree with most people in this thread, and I'm very sorry that some of you have been "ripped off" by insurance companies, but here's the real truth about motorcycle accidents and insurance.

1. Before you get on a motorcycle, you should, at a bare minimum, have comprehensive motorcycle insurance with liability coverage of at least $250,000 and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage of at least $250,000. You should also have proper medical coverage. This will instantly solve almost every complaint in this thread. If you can’t afford this kind of coverage, you can’t afford to ride your bike. End of story. Buy a smaller bike or find a hobby you can afford. Proper insurance is a cost of riding. It’s not a luxury item.

2. Don’t do anything illegal. Sure, we all like to speed once in a while, but if you break any laws while riding in traffic, you deserve everything you get. Not only are you risking tickets and your own safety, you’re risking the safety of other people. If you are involved in a genuine accident (and not an “accident” where you were speeding, overtaking on the inside etc.), the cops are very, very cool. Many of them ride. Most of them ride safely. Most of them have an intense dislike for idiots who give bikers a bad name by acting like morons on the street. If you are in an accident through no fault of your own, the cops are on your side. Not to mention that since you went down at a sane speed, you’re more likely to be conscious and on the scene to give your side of the story. If you are in an accident because you were speeding, tough. Speed limits are there for a reason.

3. If you ride without gear, expect no sympathy from insurance companies, cops and juries. There’s a concept called “mitigation of risk/loss” – basically, if you know you’re likely to get hurt doing something and you take no steps to minimize the injuries, you’re out of luck, but if you take reasonable steps to mitigate the injuries (e.g. MSF course, helmet, boots, gloves, jacket, back protector, and riding pants) each and every time you ride, then insurance companies, cops and juries will be on your side.

4. Make sure your bike is registered correctly, you have valid plates, and you have a valid license. It’s just retarded to ride without a license or proper registration. Why give the insurance companies a chance to refuse coverage based on a technicality?

That’s about it. I hate to say this, but it’s typically the young, semi-employed (or unemployed) riders who think that the only cost of owning a bike is the bare minimum liability insurance. Insurance is not there simply as a formality to make you “legal” on the road. It’s there for a reason – that reason being you’re likely to get injured if you fall and you can’t afford to pay the medical bills out of your own pocket. Riding without medical insurance is stupid. Riding without enough underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage is stupid. End of story.

There’s no insurance company rip off or plan to defraud everybody. The problem lies with the kids who can barely afford the payments on a GSXR 1000 and the cheapest, minimum levels of insurance. Your insurance coverage levels should be determined by what you can afford to lose (which for most of us is next to nothing, meaning we need the highest levels of insurance). The guys financing your bike are only concerned about you trashing the bike if you fall off. They don’t care about you trashing yourself.
Insurance is as vital to your riding as a helmet or gasoline. In my opinion, it’s equally important as dressing for the crash each and every time you get on the bike, if not more so. If you cannot afford the coverage for a major hospitalization (whether you’re hit by someone else who is uninsured or if you fall off on your own), you should not be riding – or certainly you should not be complaining about how unfair insurance is.

Me? I carry $500,000 liability, comprehensive, and under/uninsured motorist. I also have personally contacted my health insurance company to make sure I am covered fully in the event of a motorcycle accident. It’s not that much more expensive than the cheap junk insurance most riders carry. And when I had my accident last year (in traffic, doing NOTHING illegal at the time, and also doing nothing illegal beforehand for witnesses to see), the cops were great. Cited the other driver. Witnesses were cooperative because they saw me as the victim, not the instigator or jointly at fault. Health insurance paid for everything – surgery, the whole lot. Both my insurance company and the company covering the driver have been great because the police statements and witness statements show that I am not a risk-taker. And I’m looking at a settlement that will not just put everything back the way it was, but will also give me a damn tasty chunk of cash to play with when all is said and done.

Sorry – I just have no sympathy for people who ride, get hit, then complain that insurance is the problem. It’s simply not true, and if anything, the article at the top of this thread encourages people to get less insurance (to avoid being ripped off) rather than more.

I guess people's horror stories upset you. Thanks for posting your side, so now others can hear both sides of the fence "problems with insurance vs. having a better insurance plan" LOL

Ride safely cause insurance is not going to keep you breathing.

[endoman]

Originally Posted by Jazzie Sensation

Ride safely cause insurance is not going to keep you breathing.

Indirectly, it will.

Motorcycling is very dangerous. Those riders who appreciate the dangers typically carry higher insurance than those who think that an accident will never happen. And riders who appreciate the dangers wear the proper gear, get licenses, take safety courses, and don't ride like morons.

And regardless of your assertion that "insurance is not going to keep you breathing," most accidents are not fatal. Most are, however, serious. Proper insurance coverage will pay for better medical care and better rehabilitation. Try getting a great private surgeon and a year's worth of physical therapy from junk health and bike insurance after badly breaking a leg. Instead, you'll end up being treated by the ER instead of having a dedicated orthopedic surgeon, and you'll have five visits to a trashy physical therapist instead of having a year's worth of orthopedic follow-ups and a hundred visits to the nice physical therapist. I'll end up with a 100% recovery. You'll end up with a permanent limp and pain everytime you sit on a bike for more than half an hour.

I really don't think anyone can give me one good reason (or bad reason) why carrying better insurance with higher coverages is dumb. But I can think of countless reasons why carrying insufficient insurance is the single most stupid thing you can do on a motorcycle other than riding without the proper gear.

now others can hear both sides of the fence "problems with insurance vs. having a better insurance plan" LOL

Again, you miss the point. It's not "problems with insurance vs. having a better insurance plan". It's "problems caused by not having enough insurance vs. problems solved by having enough insurance."

I'm not overinsured. I'm properly insured. Most riders truly don't appreciate the massive cost of an accident, and most riders are woefully underinsured.

[cruzinZ]

Every accident is different. Your point about being able to give your side of the story if you are following the laws and not speeding is a very optimistic point. Your speed has nothing to do with the degree of injury you sustain during an accident. You could be traveling at slow parking lots speeds and die/ or you could get lucky and get thrown off the bike at 110 mph with no more then some bruising and a broken bike. Ever accident is different. The main point to this thread is knowledge: Insurance companies are not all cracked up to what they seem to be. The justice system is a complete joke. And most importantly we as a group are stereotyped.

Your words about the finical company only caring about their investment being insured is spot on. The basic full coverage does not cover the rider in the event of an accident usually only the motorcycle. Check with your insurance policy to validate this. The last thing you want is to end up in a bad situation with a false sense of security.

Cover your bike (insurance), make sure your legal & responsible, and most importantly CYA in the event of an accident. Decent medical coverage is not as expensive as you might think. Shop around! If you can not afford these things then you should have chose a different hobby that is within your finical means.

Originally Posted by endoman

Sorry to disagree with most people in this thread, and I'm very sorry that some of you have been "ripped off" by insurance companies, but here's the real truth about motorcycle accidents and insurance.

1. Before you get on a motorcycle, you should, at a bare minimum, have comprehensive motorcycle insurance with liability coverage of at least $250,000 and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage of at least $250,000. You should also have proper medical coverage. This will instantly solve almost every complaint in this thread. If you can’t afford this kind of coverage, you can’t afford to ride your bike. End of story. Buy a smaller bike or find a hobby you can afford. Proper insurance is a cost of riding. It’s not a luxury item.

2. Don’t do anything illegal. Sure, we all like to speed once in a while, but if you break any laws while riding in traffic, you deserve everything you get. Not only are you risking tickets and your own safety, you’re risking the safety of other people. If you are involved in a genuine accident (and not an “accident” where you were speeding, overtaking on the inside etc.), the cops are very, very cool. Many of them ride. Most of them ride safely. Most of them have an intense dislike for idiots who give bikers a bad name by acting like morons on the street. If you are in an accident through no fault of your own, the cops are on your side. Not to mention that since you went down at a sane speed, you’re more likely to be conscious and on the scene to give your side of the story. If you are in an accident because you were speeding, tough. Speed limits are there for a reason.

3. If you ride without gear, expect no sympathy from insurance companies, cops and juries. There’s a concept called “mitigation of risk/loss” – basically, if you know you’re likely to get hurt doing something and you take no steps to minimize the injuries, you’re out of luck, but if you take reasonable steps to mitigate the injuries (e.g. MSF course, helmet, boots, gloves, jacket, back protector, and riding pants) each and every time you ride, then insurance companies, cops and juries will be on your side.

4. Make sure your bike is registered correctly, you have valid plates, and you have a valid license. It’s just retarded to ride without a license or proper registration. Why give the insurance companies a chance to refuse coverage based on a technicality?

That’s about it. I hate to say this, but it’s typically the young, semi-employed (or unemployed) riders who think that the only cost of owning a bike is the bare minimum liability insurance. Insurance is not there simply as a formality to make you “legal” on the road. It’s there for a reason – that reason being you’re likely to get injured if you fall and you can’t afford to pay the medical bills out of your own pocket. Riding without medical insurance is stupid. Riding without enough underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage is stupid. End of story.

There’s no insurance company rip off or plan to defraud everybody. The problem lies with the kids who can barely afford the payments on a GSXR 1000 and the cheapest, minimum levels of insurance. Your insurance coverage levels should be determined by what you can afford to lose (which for most of us is next to nothing, meaning we need the highest levels of insurance). The guys financing your bike are only concerned about you trashing the bike if you fall off. They don’t care about you trashing yourself.
Insurance is as vital to your riding as a helmet or gasoline. In my opinion, it’s equally important as dressing for the crash each and every time you get on the bike, if not more so. If you cannot afford the coverage for a major hospitalization (whether you’re hit by someone else who is uninsured or if you fall off on your own), you should not be riding – or certainly you should not be complaining about how unfair insurance is.

Me? I carry $500,000 liability, comprehensive, and under/uninsured motorist. I also have personally contacted my health insurance company to make sure I am covered fully in the event of a motorcycle accident. It’s not that much more expensive than the cheap junk insurance most riders carry. And when I had my accident last year (in traffic, doing NOTHING illegal at the time, and also doing nothing illegal beforehand for witnesses to see), the cops were great. Cited the other driver. Witnesses were cooperative because they saw me as the victim, not the instigator or jointly at fault. Health insurance paid for everything – surgery, the whole lot. Both my insurance company and the company covering the driver have been great because the police statements and witness statements show that I am not a risk-taker. And I’m looking at a settlement that will not just put everything back the way it was, but will also give me a damn tasty chunk of cash to play with when all is said and done.

Sorry – I just have no sympathy for people who ride, get hit, then complain that insurance is the problem. It’s simply not true, and if anything, the article at the top of this thread encourages people to get less insurance (to avoid being ripped off) rather than more.

[endoman]

Originally Posted by cruzinZ

Your point about being able to give your side of the story if you are following the laws and not speeding is a very optimistic point. Your speed has nothing to do with the degree of injury you sustain during an accident. You could be traveling at slow parking lots speeds and die/ or you could get lucky and get thrown off the bike at 110 mph with no more then some bruising and a broken bike.

Sure, but it's not likely. People rarely die when they fall off at parking lot speeds. They often die at speeds in excess of legal limits. You cannot reasonably claim that you are as safe at 80mph as you are at 8mph.

The main point to this thread is knowledge: Insurance companies are not all cracked up to what they seem to be. The justice system is a complete joke.

You're correct that all of us need to be well-informed about insurance, but this thread contains a hugely dangerous premise - that the insurance companies are "bad." This is absolute BS. The insurance companies are not in the charity business. If you buy the cheap insurance (which most riders do, judging from the comments on this site), then you get basic coverage with no frills. And guess what? When you crash, you don't get medical coverage. You don't get your custom parts paid for. You don't get pain and suffering. You don't get compensated because the other driver had no insurance.

If you want proper coverage, you have to pay for it. If you think your $12 per month "coverage" is all you need, then you deserve to be "screwed" when the insurance company pays out precisely according to the terms of your agreement.

The main knowledge deficit in this thread is that of the riders. Like with most things, you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for fully-comprehensive insurance with at least $250,000 liability and underinsured motorist coverage, then you will get "screwed" when you crash. The sad thing is that it's the cheapness or lack of knowledge of the rider that is the problem, not the insurance company.

And the justice system isn't a complete joke. I think most riders who are injured will go into court expecting full compensation for their loss. But most riders don't realize that (i) the court won't ever order an insurance company to pay our more than you were covered for, and (ii) if you were doing something stupid (speeding etc.) before you crashed, you're often out of luck. Again, it's the unrealistic expectations of most riders that causes the problems.

And most importantly we as a group are stereotyped.

And not undeservedly, judging by the contents of this site and the awful riding I see on the street.

The basic full coverage does not cover the rider in the event of an accident usually only the motorcycle.

Exactly. You need to pay for more than the bare minimum that the finance company or state law requires.

Cover your bike (insurance), make sure your legal & responsible, and most importantly CYA in the event of an accident. Decent medical coverage is not as expensive as you might think. Shop around! If you can not afford these things then you should have chose a different hobby that is within your finical means.

That's the bottom line, guys. If you can't afford proper insurance coverage for our very dangerous hobby, then you need to find something else to do. Or at the very least, stop posting this kind of stupid thread complaining about how nothing is ever your fault.