Insurance Coverage – Motorcycle
Q: My son just bought a motorcycle. I want to make sure he has enough insurance to cover him if he is involved in a collision. What types or amounts of insurance should he carry?
A: You must carry minimum liability coverage of at least $30,000 per injured person, up to a total of $60,000 for everyone hurt in an accident, and $25,000 for property damage.
However, there is other insurance that every motorcyclist and
every bicyclist that rides on public streets should buy. I recommend Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Coverage which is no fault insurance and will pay your medical bills plus 80 percent of lost income.
You should also buy Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage. If you are hit by someone who does not have insurance, UNINSURED coverage is there to pay for your damages. If you are hit by someone that has insurance but not enough to cover your damages your UNDERINSURED coverage is there to pay for your damages over what the other person has in insurance.
Due to the probability that a very serious injury will occur if there is a collision involving a motorcyclist, or a bicyclist, I recommend that every motorcyclist and every bicyclist that rides on public streets carry $10,000.00 in PIP and at least $250,000.00 in UM/UIM. The price difference in carrying the lower limits and this much PIP and UM/UIM is nominal when you consider the amount of medical bills you will have if you are hurt in a collision and are riding a motorcycle or bicycle.
I have written a free Book entitled A SIMPLE GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE IN TEXAS that explains all the different types of insurance coverage available and what I recommend everyone carry.
If you have any questions or would like one of my free books entitled A SIMPLE GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE IN TEXAS or a free ACCIDENT INFORMATION CARD please feel free to e-mail my office at info@kerrycollinslaw.com or kcpc@txis.net. You can also call me at 817/335-9700.
The Law Offices of Kerry H. Collins, P.C.* 1301 Ballinger Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
(817) 335-9700
(877) 988-1603 Toll free
info@kerrycollinslaw.com www.kerrycollinslaw.com
*Kerry H. Collins is Board Certified in Personal Injury
Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Q: My wife and I were at a red light when a delivery truck hit us in the rear. There were plenty of witnesses and the police officer told us the delivery truck was at fault. Since we were not at fault do we have to prove anything to the insurance company so that they will pay for our medical bills? Won’t the insurance company be fair to us?
A: The answer to your first question is YES. You have what is called the “burden of proof”. Just because you were hurt doesn’t mean you are automatically entitled to money. You must prove that someone else was negligent or careless and that it was their negligence or carelessness which caused your injury. If you fail to do this, you lose. If you sue the wrong person, you lose. If you wait too long to sue, you lose.
And NO they won’t treat you fairly. They have no reason to. In fact, some of the tricks they will use in handling your claim are:
Require you to provide unnecessary information. Intentional delay.
Dispute your medical treatment.
Nickel and dime the medical charges.
Tell you that you have to give a recorded statement. Promising to take care of you.
Arguing that you could not have been hurt in this “fender bender”.
Arguing you are partially at fault.
There are many other matters you need to be aware of when trying to handle your own claim. I have written a free Book entitled TEXAS AUTOMOBILE INJURY HANDBOOK that explains in detail what the typical claim involves; what you need to do to properly handle your claim and what to look out for when dealing with Insurance Companies.
If you have any questions or would like one of my free books entitled TEXAS AUTOMOBILE INJURY HANDBOOK or a free ACCIDENT INFORMATION CARD please feel free to e-mail my office at info@kerrycollinslaw.com or kcpc@txis.net. You can also call me at 817/335-9700.
The Law Offices of Kerry H. Collins, P.C.* 1301 Ballinger Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
(817) 335-9700
(877) 988-1603 Toll free
*Kerry H. Collins is Board Certified in Personal Injury
Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
