Motorcycle Insurance Articles
What Every Motorcycle Owner Should Know About Add On Coverage
2010-12-01
Motorcycle insurance is a specialty product sold by some insurance companies to protect those who own and operate motorcycles. Not all companies that sell automobile insurance sell motorcycle coverage as, for many, motorcycles are considered high-risk vehicles. The fact is, comparing the number of cars versus motorcycles on the road, chances of having a serious accident while riding a bike are more than five times greater than when driving a vehicle with four wheels. For this reason, motorcycle add on coverage, above and beyond what is required by law, may be a good idea to consider.
Nearly every state in the United States requires motorcyclists to maintain an insurance policy on their machine in order for it to be registered to be driven on the road. Usually the required insurance is limited to liability protection only, which is designed to protect the insured from his or her liability in causing a loss to someone else's life, limb or property. Liability coverage will not pay the insured person for his or her own loss, whether in the form of medical expenses or damage to the motorcycle. To obtain this type of protection, the insured would have to have add on coverage in the form of medical benefits and collision insurance.
While each state will have its own legal requirements as to the amount of liability protection needed, it is the option of the insured to increase these limits and buy more than the minimum mandated by law. Optional add on coverage for a motorcycle insurance policy is also left up to the discretion of the insured policyholder. Some of this optional coverage includes collision protection, which is designed to pay benefits if your motorcycle is damaged in an accident, and it will pay regardless of who is determined to be at fault.
Comprehensive coverage is also a form of optional add on coverage. It is meant to pay benefits for any loss suffered in a non-collision related scenario. This can include loss from fire, theft, vandalism or acts of nature such as hail storms or lightening strikes. If your bike is parked in a garage and the ceiling falls in and causes damage this would be covered under the comprehensive clause of your motorcycle insurance policy.
Uninsured/underinsured coverage provides benefits if you're involved in an accident deemed to be the other person's fault and yet they are either uninsured or underinsured. This add on coverage can pay medical costs, lost wages or other losses suffered by either you or your passenger. Most motorcycle insurance policies can be tailored to your exact requirements and insurance underwriters will usually allow you to just take the protection you feel you need.