MEDICAL BILLS INSURANCE FOR MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT – ATTORNEY
If you own an automobile in Minnesota, your insurance company must include coverage for medical expenses after a car accident. That is required by MN law. Unfortunately, this law does not apply to insurance for motorcycle owners.Therefore, accident medical insurance coverage for the motorcycle owner is just optional.You must request it if you want your motorcycle insurance to pay medical bills for an accident.
Your insurance company is required to offer medical bills insurance for when you are on your motorcycle. However, that doesn’t mean they have to encourage you to get it, or even explain how important it may be to you.
Minn.Stat. Sec. 65B.48 Subd. 5. regarding motorcycle insurance coverage states:
‘(a) Every owner of a motorcycle registered or required to be registered in this state or operated in this state shall maintain security for the payment of tort liabilities arising out of the maintenance or use of the motorcycle. Security may be provided by a contract of liability insurance complying with section 65B.49, subdivision 3.
(b) At the time an application for motorcycle insurance without personal injury protection coverage is completed, there must be attached to the application a separate form. The form must contain a written notice that states:
‘Under Minnesota law, a policy of motorcycle coverage issued in the State of Minnesota must provide liability coverage only. However, there is no requirement that the policy provide personal injury protection (PIP) coverage in the case of injury sustained by the insured. No PIP coverage provided by an automobile insurance policy you may have will extend to provide coverage in the event of a motorcycle accident.’
MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT LAWYERS’ ADVICE
That is not much of a warning and is not very informative.For one thing, most people don’t know what ‘PIP’ coverage is. PIP covers medical bills and lost wages. In addition, this coverage applies regardless of who caused the accident. However, the notice doesn’t explain this at all. The truth is, you are much more likely to be injured in an accident if you are riding a motorcycle than if you are riding in a car.The PIP/No Fault Benefits that you can purchase for your motorcycle may provide up to $500 per week in lost wages and up to $20,000 in medical expenses.
It may not seem like a big deal, but the cost is pretty modest to buy medical coverage for a motorcycle accident. Further, the benefits can be very helpful if you are injured in a bad crash.
MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INSURANCE QUESTIONS
Our lawyers frequently represent people injured in a Minnesota motorcycle accident. Our first discussion with the client always includes the question of whether they have PIP coverage. That is the quickest way to help pay the medical bills and lost wages after a motorcycle accident.Every client that purchased the extra coverage has been very grateful (usually to their insurance agent) that they did so.If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident in MN and have questions about your rights or insurance coverage, call our office. An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer will provide you with a free consultation.