Does your insurance cover medical expenses?

[rdwalker]

I have posted a similar question recently, but - maybe since it was specific to New Jersey - nobody replied.

So, let's widen the net.

Is your motorcycle insurance covering you for medical expenses (here in NJ that feature is called Personal Injury Protection)? If so, who do you use as carrier?

I do realize that insurance regulations vary vastly between the states, but your input will help me research my options.

At this point in my life, I am quite concerned with potentially catastrophic cost of medical treatment in the US. I just found out - by the unfortunate example of an acquaintance - that my NJ Blue Cross/Shield medical insurance will not cover motorcycle-related injuries.

For my motorcycles I carry liability and collision insurance, which does not offer a PIP option.

Well, how do you guys handle this problem?

Tnx,

[Josmas]

Is that true... A medical policy can deny coverage for a motorcycle injury? I'll have to take a look at my policy.
They must also deny sky diving, scuba diving, skiing...and anything else they deem "dangerous activity".

[lhendrick]

No medical coverage with Progressive. After an accident that totaled the bike they were great in paying quickly but would not cover any med expenses. I had to pay emergency room costs and minor treatment and was partially reimbursed by my Oxford medical coverage. Best to read the fine print very carefully.

[rando]

I have no idea on mine. After my crash last year, my health insurance thru work has paid everything but the copays (of course). And the faulty party is going to be paying that out soon, hopefully. I was very fortunate in my case. My aunt, however, was hit by a drunk, un- or underinsured driver and is hurting mightlily in FL.

There's so much hidden that you can only get by if lucky.

Randy

[tmgs]

I have posted a similar question recently, but - maybe since it was specific to New Jersey - nobody replied.

So, let's widen the net.

Is your motorcycle insurance covering you for medical expenses (here in NJ that feature is called Personal Injury Protection)? If so, who do you use as carrier?

I do realize that insurance regulations vary vastly between the states, but your input will help me research my options.

At this point in my life, I am quite concerned with potentially catastrophic cost of medical treatment in the US. I just found out - by the unfortunate example of an acquaintance - that my NJ Blue Cross/Shield medical insurance will not cover motorcycle-related injuries.

For my motorcycles I carry liability and collision insurance, which does not offer a PIP option.

Well, how do you guys handle this problem?

Tnx,


read this
www.bikershut.net/mc_ins.htm

there are a couple things

many insurance policies do not cover medical on motorcycles every state has different elaws in some way every Ins. company has a different policy as well

Medical Payment coverage is high where you can buy it

the best thing to do is talk to a personal injury attorney that KNOWS motorcycle coverages in your state
also know how that policy will cover you in a different state!
remember it is up to you to carry the proper insurance for each state you ride through!

your state may say you need 10k of ins but the next state may say you need 50k so in that sttate you are illegal if you only carry the 10k or if your one of the idjuts from FL that carry no insurnace at all

UM is your frined - a disability policy short term and long term are even more of a friend! MAKE SURE the policy does not decline payments if your on a motorcycle

EVEN your Helath insurance policy might decline coverage on a MC

READ your policy!!!!

[tmgs]

Is that true... A medical policy can deny coverage for a motorcycle injury? I'll have to take a look at my policy.
They must also deny sky diving, scuba diving, skiing...and anything else they deem "dangerous activity".

yes it is true, not all do however, and it depends on your states MC laws,

also remember if your Health insurance does pay for you medical, and you do have a settlement coming from (the other party if not your fault) the Health has the right to collect all monies before any other parties are paid out,

IOW lets say you have 50k in medical the insured that hit you had 50k in coverage, your not putting a dime into your pocket for loss wages or pain n suffering because that health insurance company is getting their 50k back 1st

[Crestwood330]

I can speak from first hand experience right now.

I was leaving the trail of tears ride in Florence, AL on Hwy 157 on Sat and was cut off by a nissan senta at county line road. I t-boned the car, was doing 65 the posted speed. the car never yeilded to traffic. I and the AL hwy patrol following me were in hard ABS lockdown. with abs I was able to scub off enough speed and distance not to get hit, but tagged the right rear corner of the car spinning it 90 degrees. I was thrown off to my left, the LT barrel rolled over me and spit me out a distance away.

I broke my r radius arm bone that required surgery and a titanium plate and 6 screws. I was wearing my Olympia jacket, pants, arai helmet and BMW Airflow boots and leather gloves. all of my gear saved me from any other injury. I have ZERO road rash!

I have Geico MC insurance with a 2,000 medical rider to take care of any immediate issues. since it was not my fault I Geico will get other med expenses from the other driver. I also have under/uninsured motorist coverage if it turns out they have a lapsed policy.

I'm typing this from my hospital bed happy that a broken arm is my only injury considering how hard I hit. btw the lt did a great job protecting me. the smooth bodywork allowed the lt to slide off me without catching and dragging me. 21 years of riding, 1st time down on a street bike. Dirt bike riding in the early years I have been down a ton of times off road.

sincerely
dave allen
all the gear all the time. i'm a true believer. it saved butt the first and only time I had to depend on it

[kevincook]

David,

Glad your OK. Did the highway patrol write a ticket for the Nissan?

Kevin

[jayz9705]

My experience has been that there is NO coverage for YOUR injuries unless you purchase the PIP coverage. This has been standard everywhere I've had occasion to look.

[Lopaca]

Med Pay here in California is an optional insurance that you pay for. Depending on the company, you can buy as much as you want. I have a 100/300 liability policy which means that I am covered if I cause an accident up to 100 per claimant (person suing me) and 300 maximum as to all claimaints if there is more than one. Additionally, I pay for med pay (medical payments coverage). My insurance will pay my medical bills up to my limit (can't remember what I have, except that is the maximum I could buy) regardless of who is at fault.

The most important type of coverage, especially here in California, is under/uninsured. They are the same policy. If the person who causes the accident does not have any insurance or not enough insurance then my insurance steps in and acts as the insurance for the person that caused the accident.

On top of that I have health insurance. If my health insurance makes payments due to an accident caused by someone else and I recover from the liable party, then my health insurance (and my m/c insurance if they paid medical bills) are entitled to recover what they paid out. The catch here is if you get a recovery by hiring an attorney. In that case the insurance companies are not entitled to 100% of the monies paid out because they are benefiting by you paying an attorney (eg. if you did not sue they would never see their money back). They then get the amount they paid minus the same fee you are paying your attorney. It is not as confusing as it sounds. It is based on a common law theory called the common fund doctrine.

I have represented motorcycle accident victims over the years and I can tell you that I have yet to see riders have enough coverage. They will spend tens of thousands on their bike and then skimp on the insurance. Get as much as you can afford - trust me. I am just now wrapping up a case where the person who caused a m/c accident only had a 100, 000 policy - my client had none, zero, nunca underinsured coverage. He just had the minimum liability coverage (15/30 for California). His bills were close to 450,000 dollars. There was no way to make him whole.

You just can not have enough uninsured/underinsured.

[rdwalker]

... there is NO coverage for YOUR injuries unless you purchase the PIP coverage...

That is correct, only PIP covers injuries if the other party to accident is not at fault.

My problem is that I cannot find a motorcycle insurer in NJ that offers PIP.

[LTinOH]

After my little incident on the BRP at the RA rally, I was pleased to see my MC insurance (Grange) would pay my medical bills, as at time I had no health coverage (divorce = no more coverage when she carries it at her employer.) They havebeen super about the whole thing and I have paid virtually no money out of pocket.