As riders know, motorcycle riding is a fun but risky activity. Even the most experienced, safe riders with all the gear can get hurt in crashes. That is just an unfortunate fact of life for riders. Alexandria Virginia Motorcycle Injury Lawyer Stan Doerrer is a motorcycle rider himself and prides himself in helping riders who are injured or killed get the recovery they deserve.
One big tip Attorney Doerrer has for motorcycle riders has to do with their insurance: Turn Up Those Limits!
Insurance tip for motorcycle riders turn up those limits
The state minimum insurance is simply not enough. The minimum insurance coverage is as follows in Virginia:
Bodily injury/death of one person $25,000 (per person)
Bodily injury/death of two or more persons $50,000 (per accident)
Washington DC’s coverage limits are the same ($25,000/$50,000). Maryland’s are slightly increased ($30,000-$60,000).
Because motorcyclists lack the protective structure of an automobile or truck, they are significantly more likely to suffer severe or fatal injuries when there is a crash. Unfortunately, more than 80% of all reported motorcycle crashes result in injury or death to the rider.
That’s why I advise all motorcycle riders to increase their coverage as high as possible from the minimum limits so that they can take full advantage of their own Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM) in the event that they are hit by someone else and it is the other driver’s fault.
If a driver heading towards you takes a surprise left into your lane and in front of you and you are thrown from your motorcycle and suffer serious injuries causing huge medical bills– YOU WILL HAVE COVERAGE UP TO YOUR OWN UIM LIMITS EVEN IF THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR HAS THE STATE MINIMUMS OR NO INSURANCE. Why leave your protection and your possible recovery in the hands of the inattentive driver who hit you?
Imagine you are facing $150,000 in medical expenses and permanent injuries. If you are hit by a driver in Virginia with the minimum insurance limits, you will only be able to get $25,000 for your troubles. That’s right- $25,000. And you and your family will be stuck dealing with the rest of the fallout. But if you were to increase your liability and UIM limits to $300,000, you would be able to obtain $25,000 from the person who hit you and up to an additional $275,000 from your own insurance carrier. Even with the increased insurance premiums, this should be an easy decision since you are protecting yourself and your passenger. And the big insurance secret is that it does not cost as much to increase your liability and UIM limits on your insurance policy as you may think.
Another insurance tip I have is to add Personal Injury Protection and/or Medpay coverage if available (PIP/Medpay) by your carrier in your state. This coverage is usually available in a set amount of, say $3,000 or $5,000, and pays if you are injured in a crash and have medical expenses and/or lost wages. The good thing about this protection is that it often pays up to the amount of medical bills and/or lost wages even if the crash was your fault or you are unable to prove it wasn’t your fault.
If you or someone you love were injured in a motorcycle crash caused due to someone else’s negligence, contact the Law Office of Stan M. Doerrer PLLC (703) 348-4646 for a free consultation. There is no fee unless you win, and we will work hard to make sure you get get what you deserve.
