Massachusetts motor vehicle laws and insurance coverage requirements for vehicle owners and motorcyclists vary. It’s essential to understand your coverage before an accident occurs so you can be prepared for unforeseen incidents. After all, that’s why you have coverage in the first place.
Everyone is required by law to have a specific minimum coverage for a vehicle to be lawfully on the road. One component of this coverage is called Personal Injury Protection(PIP) benefits. These are no-fault benefits for medical bills and lost wages; no-fault meaning the insurance company pays them regardless of your fault in the accident.
However, it’s vital to understand that motor vehicle Personal Injury Protection benefits are not available to motorcyclists. Even if you are willing to pay for this benefit as a motorcyclist, it is not an option. This is why it’s so important to talk with your insurance agent to go over different potential scenarios so you make sure that you have the proper coverage in place.
The biggest mistake motorcyclists make is to assume the right coverage is in place. Do not wait until an accident occurs, and medical bills begin accumulating, to verify your coverage.
When insuring a motorcycle, the first step is to get the right coverage. Anyone who owns or operates a motorcycle should talk to their insurance agent about medical payments coverage. This will protect motorcyclists who are injured in a motorcycle collision, whether it’s with a motor vehicle or some other object. This form of coverage pays for medical bills or treatments.
While we’re all required to have some form of health insurance, the added layer of protection from medical payments coverage will go a long way to pay for medical bills and treatment. This is particularly true in Massachusetts, where coverage is heavily regulated, and you’re obligated to have medical bills from a car or motorcycle accident processed a certain way. This is why you want to have answers regarding your coverage before there’s an incident.
If you’re a motorcyclist involved in an accident with a car, who pays your medical bills, because PIP benefits are unavailable to you?
The motorcyclist’s health insurance ideally covers medical bills while the insurance of the at-fault vehicle is responsible for compensation for pain and suffering and loss of future earning capacity. However, if the motorcyclist is struck by a vehicle that doesn’t have enough insurance coverage, the motorcycle driver may be left covering unpaid expenses.
One option to protect against this situation is to seek higher limits for uninsured/underinsured bodily injury coverage. This will allow motorcyclists to have an extra layer of protection, if the vehicle that strikes them does not have enough insurance coverage.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a motorcycle accident, our team of lawyers is here to help. Give our office a call to explore your legal options.
