If you have been in a serious motorcycle accident, you probably are looking for a way to pay for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages caused by the crash. Depending on the circumstances, including whether a vehicle was involved and who was at fault, you may be able to receive insurance benefits from a number of different policies.
Motorcycle accidents can cause some of the most severe injuries. Because the rider is not protected by the steel and airbags of a car, a high-speed crash can easily result in brain injury, or even death. Those injuries mean you could be facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses and a lifetime of recovery from your injuries. You will need to know your options to get those costs covered so you can focus on healing.
Motorcycle Accidents Involving Vehicles Trigger No-Fault Benefits
Many motorcycle accidents involve other vehicles. Drivers sometimes overlook smaller bikes. Other times, motorcyclists dodge between vehicles in unpredictable ways that can cause a crash. In some cases, loose contents from a truck can force a motorcyclist to react, sending them off the road.
When a car or truck is involved in a motorcycle accident, the driver, passengers, and motorcyclist can all receive insurance benefits under the Michigan No-Fault Act. The law is designed to protect anyone injured as the result of the use of a motor vehicle as a motor vehicle. Even though the motorcyclist wasn’t the one in the vehicle at the time of the crash, he or she will likely still be able to get his or her medical expenses paid. If a person is injured by a motor vehicle while operating a motorcycle or riding as a passenger on the bike, he or she can file a claim with the insurance provider for:
- The owner of a motor vehicle involved in the crash
- The driver of a motor vehicle involved in the crash
- The motorcyclist’s own auto insurance policy
- The owner of the motorcycle’s auto insurance policy.
As long as a motor vehicle was directly related to the accident, the Michigan No-Fault Act ensures that motorcyclists will be receive insurance benefits for their medical expenses, lost wages, attendant care costs, and replacement services.
Mandatory Motorcycle Insurance Covers At-Fault Damages
Even when a motorcyclist causes the accident, there may still be additional insurance benefits available to cover damages not paid for under a no-fault insurance policy. State law requires motorcyclists to maintain mandatory motorcycle insurance to cover liability when they are fault for a crash. These liability insurance benefits will cover any damages awarded in a negligence lawsuit for:
- Property damage
- Pain & suffering
- Permanent or long-term disability
- Disfigurement
- Other non-economic damages
However, unlike no-fault insurance, mandatory motorcycle insurance coverage is capped at $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident for personal injuries. It covers another $10,000 for property damage. While motorcyclists can choose to increase those limits, doing so comes at a cost. In a serious motorcycle accident, the non-economic damages can quickly outstrip the cyclist’s liability insurance, leaving the injured party to try to collect the rest from the rider himself or herself.
Motorcycle No-Fault Insurance Is Available
For committed bikers without any other vehicles, there is optional insurance that will allow them to receive no-fault insurance benefits even when no other vehicle is involved. If a motorcyclist loses control or has to lay the bike down, they still run the risk of asphalt burns, broken bones, and even head injuries. A motorcycle no-fault insurance policy can ensure that all those medical costs are paid for, even without a car.
There are a number of sources for insurance benefits after a motorcycle accident. Where you turn first, and what your options are depend on the insurance choices you made and the circumstances of your crash. An experience motorcycle attorney can help you review all the possible policies and create a strategy to cover all your damages.
At Macomb Law Group, our personal injury attorneys know how expensive medical bills from a motorcycle crash can be. If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, contact Macomb Law Group and get our team working for you.
