Motorcycle Insurance Articles
How To Process A Motorcycle Theft Claim
2010-08-19
Motorcycles have become a status symbol in our country as they express the freedom of the road that so many people love and enjoy in their daily lives. Unfortunately, just like any other commodity, motorcycles are vulnerable to damage and theft. Motorcycle insurance, like any kind of auto insurance, is driven up by motorcycle theft that increases the likelihood that the insurance company will have to pay. However, in the unfortunate event that your motorcycle is stolen it is relatively simple to file and process your motorcycle theft claim.
Motorcycle insurance functions much like other types of auto insurance in that motorcycle theft will be covered under the "comprehensive" coverage in your policy. This coverage typically covers fire, theft, vandalism and other non-collision related types of claims that occur with your vehicle. In most instances the motorcycle insurance company will process your theft in accordance with basic requirements to prove a vehicle was indeed stolen. These requirements can be quite tedious but are an unavoidable part of the procedure.
First, you will likely have to wait anywhere from three weeks to 30 days for the insurance company to do anything at all in relation to your claim due to the police. The motorcycle insurance company will wait during this time to see if the vehicle is recovered by the police, in which case they may not have to do much of anything. Any police officer will tell you that the likelihood of a motorcycle being found is very slim, but an insurance company wants to be certain that the vehicle is a total loss.
During this waiting period it is very helpful to have a second mode of transportation that could get you to where you want to go. If you have rental coverage on your motorcycle insurance policy you could possibly use that, but nothing will be done with your vehicle until the proper amount of time has lapsed. Once the time has gone by to have the police recover the motorcycle the motorcycle insurance company should deem your vehicle a "total loss" and pay you accordingly. This payment is not to repay you for your car, but to pay the fair market value when the car was purchased.
Filing motorcycle insurance claims is not difficult, especially if you have ever filed a car or homeowners claim in your past. Motorcycle theft is not easy to deal with as it could leave you without your transportation and your settlement may not be what you want. Getting a reputable motorcycle insurance carrier will help you recover from the possible theft of your motorcycle.