Unfortunately, many motorcycle accidents result in serious injuries to the rider. This generally means significant medical bills will be incurred. When a New Jersey resident is injured in a motorcycle accident, they need to see if their own motorcycle insurance policy provides medical expense coverage. In New Jersey, people injured in car accidents usually have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits on their own car insurance policies that provide coverage for medical bills. Motorcycle policies do not offer these PIP benefits for the motorcycle rider or passenger but some policies contain coverage for a limited amount of medical expenses. Question is what to do if there is little or no coverage for any medical bills stemming from injury to riders and passengers.
If there is no medical expense coverage on the motorcycle insurance policy, then any bills for injuries from a motorcycle accident should be submitted to the rider or passenger’s health insurance company. Because many motorcycle accidents result in significant injuries it is important for motorcycle riders to make sure they have the proper coverages in place so that an accident that causes the pain and suffering does not also cause them financial ruin.
If a motorcyclist is injured in an accident that was caused by the fault or negligence of a car or some other type of vehicle, a claim can be made against the other driver for any medical bills incurred as well as a claim for pain, suffering and disability from any injuries suffered. A problem that often arises though is that the vehicle that causes injury to the motorcycle rider and/or passenger does not have enough insurance to fully cover the damage they cause. The only way a motorcyclist can guard against this potential situation is to make sure that their motorcycle policy has sufficient uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. This is insurance coverage a cyclist purchases for themselves and their passengers which covers a situation where an accident is caused by a motorist with no insurance or a very limited insurance policy. If you do not know how much of this coverage you have, call your insurance company or agent before you go out for your next ride. It is important to purchase as much coverage as they will sell you or as much as you can afford, whichever is greater.