Massachusetts motor vehicle laws and coverage requirements differ for vehicle owners and motorcyclists. It’s essential to understand your coverage before an accident occurs so you can be prepared for unforeseen incidents. After all, that’s why you have coverage in the first place.
Everyone is required by law to have a specific line of coverage for a vehicle to be lawfully on the road. This coverage is called personal injury protection benefits. The benefits of this coverage provide accident injury protection. In some cases, personal injury protection offers some coverage for medical bills and lost wages, as well.
However, it’s vital to understand that motor vehicle personal injury protection benefits are not available to motorcyclists. Even if you are willing to pay for this benefit as a motorcyclist, it is not an option. This is why it’s so important to sit down with your insurance agent and go over different potential scenarios to make sure that you have the proper coverage in place.
The biggest mistake motorcyclists make is to assume the right coverage is in place. Do not wait until an incident occurs, and medical bills begin accumulating to verify your coverage.
When insuring a motorcycle, the first step is to get the right coverage. Anyone who owns or operates a motorcycle should talk to their insurance agent about medical payments coverage. This will protect motorcyclists who are injured in a motorcycle collision, whether it’s with a motor vehicle or some other object. This form of coverage is a layer of coverage that provides assistance for medical bills or treatments.
While we’re all required to have some form of health insurance, the added layer of protection from medical payments coverage will go a long way to pay for medical bills and treatment. This is particularly true in Massachusetts, where coverage is heavily regulated, and you’re obligated to have medical bills from a car or motorcycle accident processed a certain way. This is why you want to have answers regarding your coverage before there’s an incident.
If you’re a motorcyclist involved in an accident with a car, but personal injury protection isn’t available, who pays your medical bills?
The motorcyclist’s health insurance ideally covers medical bills while the insurance of the at-fault vehicle is responsible for compensation for pain and suffering and loss of future earning capacity. However, if the motorcyclist is struck by a vehicle that doesn’t have enough insurance coverage, the motorcycle driver may be responsible for covering expenses.
One option to protect against this situation is to seek higher limits of uninsured motorist coverage. This will allow motorcyclists to have an extra layer of protection
If you or a loved one has been involved in a motorcycle accident, our team of lawyers is here to help. Give our office a call to explore your legal options.
