Motorcycles are efficient and very easy to maneuver. They get better gas mileage than bigger vehicles and can get into spaces that bigger vehicles can’t access. However, riding a motorcycle is a dangerous activity.
Even if you are very safe when you ride, other drivers could cause a crash that leaves you severely injured. A motorcycle will do very little to protect you from the impact of a crash with a bigger vehicle.
If you suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle collision, will there be insurance to protect you?
Everyone involved should have coverage
Washington requires that everyone in a motor vehicle carry liability insurance. In recent years, that law has expanded from four-wheeled vehicles to include motorcycles as well. Like most other states, Washington requires liability insurance on all motorcycles. Like those with four-wheeled vehicles, motorcyclists must carry at least $10,000 in property damage liability coverage and $25,000 in injury liability coverage that doubles when more than one person gets hurt.
If you are not at fault for the crash, then your insurance won’t necessarily cover you. Instead, you have to make a claim against the other driver’s policy. They will be subject to the same minimum coverage requirements listed above that apply to motorcyclists.
Some drivers may carry more coverage than that. If you carry supplemental insurance, like underinsured motorist protection, then your policy can pay for costs after you use all the coverage from the other driver’s policy. Given how severe motorcycle injuries can be, some people need to consider civil lawsuits to recoup their costs after a four-wheeled vehicle hits their motorcycle.
Learning about what protects you after a motorcycle crash can help you better manage the situation if one occurs.
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