Coverage for Motorcycle Riders

In order to recover compensation from another driver after a motorcycle accident, they must have significant assets, or they must have liability insurance coverage. Although liability coverage is mandated for all vehicles by law in Tennessee, not all drivers follow the law. In fact, nearly one-quarter of drivers in the state violate the coverage law. If you are hurt in a motorcycle accident in East Tennessee, it is crucial to have coverage for motorcycle riders in order to account for the real possibility that the other driver may be uninsured or underinsured. If this happens to you, Knoxville motorcycle accident attorney Mark Hartsoe is ready to advocate for your rights.

To legally operate their motorcycles in Tennessee, all motorcyclists must have an approved form of insurance to show their financial responsibility. The insurance policy should include $15,000 for property damage in a single accident, $25,000 for an injury or death, and $50,000 for all injuries or deaths in a single accident. That means that if there are multiple people seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, there will only be $50,000 for that entire group of injured people from a single policy with minimum coverage.

Therefore, motorcyclists should also obtain uninsured motorist coverage. This covers the motorcyclist in case an at-fault driver is uninsured or does not have enough insurance to cover the motorcyclist's damages. Uninsured motorist coverage applies when the other driver does not have any insurance, while underinsured motorist coverage applies if the other driver's liability coverage does not cover the full amount of the motorcyclist's damages.

Often, the injuries in a motorcycle accident are catastrophic and life-changing. While $25,000 may cover an emergency room visit, a few medical follow-ups, and a couple of weeks worth of lost wages, it will not cover the long-term costs associated with a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord damage. Uninsured or underinsured coverage may make sure that at least some of your basic damages are covered.

You should be aware that making an uninsured motorist or underinsured motorist claim against your own insurance policy will put you in an adverse position with respect to your own insurer. Your insurer will be looking for ways in which you, rather than the other driver, were at fault for the accident, so that it may reduce the damages that it needs to pay to you. Your damages, even in an uninsured motorist claim, may be reduced by your comparative negligence, and they may be barred entirely if you are found to have been 50% or more at fault for your injuries. Mark Hartsoe can fight back vigorously against any allegations of your carelessness so that your compensation award is not unfairly diminished.

There are huge risks of injury associated with riding motorcycles. Accordingly, you should take the precaution of buying as much uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage as you can to make sure that you are able to recover compensation in case of serious injuries. Coverage for motorcycle riders often is essential to recovering the full extent of your damages. Call the Hartsoe Law Firm at 865-804-1011 or contact us via our online form to set up a free consultation with a motor vehicle collision lawyer. Attorney Mark Hartsoe has represented victims throughout East Tennessee, including in Knox, Blount, Monroe, Loudon, Jefferson, Grainger, Cocke, Campbell, Hamblen, Greene, Anderson, Cumberland, and Fentress Counties.