Motorcyclists BEWARE!!!

Motorcyclists BEWARE! Many of you are out and enjoying your motorcycles during this wonderful weather we have been experiencing. However, be cautious! Please confirm any and all insurance coverage that you have prior to taking that ride. Although I acknowledge that many have taken extra steps to insure your motorcycles, as well as purchasing liability insurance, this is not enough.

Motorcycle insurance generally does not provide personal injury protection to you or your passengers! This means, should you or your passengers be injured while riding your motorcycle, you do not have insurance to provide medical treatment and do not have income continuation benefits.

When insuring your motor vehicle, many insurances include personal injury protection. This affords you the ability to receive medical treatment and income continuation benefits through your car insurance. However, it is the normal practice of the insurance companies to disclaim any injuries resulting from involvement of a motorcycle. As such, this benefit is not provided to you nor your passengers in the event that you sustain injuries while either driving or riding on a motorcycle.

Further, as we all are aware, health insurance benefits are very expensive. Many people are not provided with these benefits through his or her employer, and cannot afford these benefits on his or her own. In the event that you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, and you do have personal injury protection included in your policy, you will maintain the ability to undergo reasonable and necessary medical treatment.

Unfortunately, without health insurance benefits, in the event that you are injured while driving or riding on a motorcycle, the cost of medical treatment is not covered and thereby your personal responsibility. Many of the riders today are not aware of this very serious issue. Be aware!

Furthermore, many injured riders attempt to collect from another party, should there be a liable party. However, be certain to confirm whether the tort threshold applies to your motor vehicle policy. This tort threshold limits your right to sue another party and may apply to your rights when driving or riding on a motorcycle.

Very serious consideration must be given to driving or riding on a motorcycle in the event that you do not have health insurance. This is especially important, in light of the fact that being involved in a motorcycle accident often results in very serious injury to the rider.