Motorcycle Insurance Articles
Passenger Coverage Under Motorcycle Insurance
2010-10-06
A motorcycle passenger can make a ride much more fun, and most motorcycle owners will occasionally take passengers on short rides. However, you may notice from looking at motorcycle insurance quotes online that a motorcycle passenger isn't necessarily covered by default on your insurance policy. Keeping a passenger properly insured can give a motorcycle owner peace of mind, so it's worth the time to think about additional motorcycle passenger coverage.
Some motorcycle insurance policies will not cover medical damages and hospital bills for a passenger under bodily injury liability coverage. This is because liability coverages on all vehicles are assumed to apply to drivers and passengers of other vehicles, and passengers that ride with motorcycle owners are taking on a measured risk, therefore the motorcycle owner is not necessarily liable for medical bills (although state law will dictate whether this is actually the case). These policies often offer a special guest passenger liability coverage. This coverage will cover a single passenger's medical bills up to a certain amount, and may even provide coverage for that passenger's personal property. Read your motorcycle insurance contract very carefully to decide whether or not this coverage is necessary for your policy. You should not buy guest passenger liability coverage if your passenger is already covered under your bodily injury liability coverage unless you're simply interested in obtaining additional amounts of coverage to keep your finances protected in the event of a major accident.
Buying guest motorcycle passenger liability coverage will increase the cost of your motorcycle insurance quotes. The exact amount of the increase will depend on your motorcycle insurance company, the rest of your policy, the amount of coverage that you buy, and several other factors. However, in most cases, guest passenger liability coverage is extremely affordable for motorcycle owners, and usually only costs a few extra dollars per month. It's an important coverage to buy if you regularly travel with a passenger and, as mentioned above, if your other motorcycle insurance coverages will not pay for an injured passenger.
Always look online for motorcycle insurance quotes before you decide to add new coverages to your policy. This will make it easier to find low cost coverage, and you can negotiate with your insurance agent when you call to change your coverage types and limits. You should also carefully read the terms of add on coverages like guest passenger liability coverage to make sure that you understand how it works and what is or isn't covered. If you decide not to buy this coverage, be very careful if you ever take on a motorcycle passenger.