Tampa Motorcycle Accident Insurance Issues

Motorcycle insurance is not the same as auto insurance. If you have insurance for your car, it does not mean you are covered for an accident while riding your motorcycle.

Motorcycle insurance can be obtained to cover damage to your motorcycle, injuries you suffer in an accident and/or theft of your bike. In cases of an accident that was another driver’s fault, that driver’s liability insurance should pay for damages you suffer.

The accident lawyers of the Disparti Law Group, P.A., want you to consider the following:

Motorcycle Insurance Coverage in Florida

If you are 21 years old, you do not legally need to have insurance to drive a motorcycle in Florida. However, this would be a terrible mistake. Motorcycle accidents are too common to justify the risk of hitting the road uninsured.

Motorcycle accidents typically result in serious injury or death and damage to the bike itself. By having proper amounts of insurance, you protect yourself and your bike.

Motorcycle insurance should be purchased by any responsible rider. The types of coverage available include:

• Liability – Coverage for bodily injury or property damage the insured rider causes to another vehicle and/or driver in an accident.
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – No-fault coverage for the policyholder’s personal injuries in an accident, regardless of who is at fault.
• Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist (UM / UIM) – Coverage for bodily injuries resulting from an accident involving an uninsured or underinsured driver. UM / UIM coverage would also provide a payment in the case of a hit-and-run accident.
• Collision – Coverage that pays for damage to the motorcycle caused by a collision with another vehicle or object.
• Comprehensive –Coverage for physical damage to the motorcycle other than in a collision (such fire or hail damage) or theft of the motorcycle.

Even with motorcycle insurance, the payment you receive after an accident would be limited by the value of your policy. For example, a minimal PIP policy pays up to $10,000. It also will be limited by how much the insurer agrees to pay.

If you must rely on the other driver’s liability insurance, they may have only the minimum required. In Florida, the minimum liability insurance required is $10,000 bodily injury coverage per person and $20,000 per crash and $10,000 property damage liability per crash.

Since insurance companies are for-profit businesses, many work hard to pay as little as possible for a claim. But our attorneys are familiar with the arguments insurance companies will make to avoid paying proper settlements.

You should never accept an insurance company’s offer without having it reviewed by an experienced motorcycle accident attorney first. We can help you by fighting to get the best settlement possible for you.

Contact a Florida Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in Tampa, Holiday or elsewhere in Florida, the Disparti Law Group, P.A., can help you to seek the insurance settlement you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation about getting the money you need to rebuild your life.

For More Information

• Do You Have Motorcycle Insurance? Florida Safety Council
• Automobile Insurance, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation
• Personal Injury Protection, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation