Motorcycle Accident FAQs

Yes. One of the main differences between motorcycle insurance and regular motor vehicle insurance in Pennsylvania is that policies insuring the former do not require the purchase and inclusion of medical coverage under the policy, while the latter do. In other words, motorcyclists who insure their bikes do not need to purchase medical coverage as part of their policy. While going this route may save the policyholder some money up front, in the long-run, it could cost them thousands of dollars. For instance, if a motorcyclist with no medical coverage under their policy is injured in an accident caused by another driver, their health insurance will pay their medical expenses from the outset. If the rider’s health insurance plan is an HMO or self-funded ERISA plan, the health insurance company will have a legal right to be reimbursed out of any recovery the biker makes for their bodily injury claim. With the cost of healthcare these days, this could mean that an injured motorcyclist would have to reimburse their health insurance company thousands, or even tens of thousands, of dollars out of the funds they receive to resolve their bodily injury claim. Conversely, if the motorcycle rider purchases sufficient medical coverage through their policy to cover all of their accident-related medical expenses, then the biker would not have to reimburse any entity for these payments from the proceeds of their bodily injury company. This is because, one, medical coverage through a motorcycle insurance policy is the primary source of payment (thus, health insurance only kicks in if this coverage is exhausted), and, two, the motorcycle insurance carrier has no legal right to be reimbursed for payment of these medical expenses. The lawyers at Georgelis, Larsen & Sabatino Injury Law Firm, P.C. are always ready and willing to answer your questions about medical coverage in the context of a motorcycle accident.

This determination is made on a case-by-case basis, depending upon the nature of the insurance coverage purchased under the additional policies and the particular language of these policies. In this situation, in order to maximize the ability to tap into the insurance coverage of multiple motor vehicles in the household, it is critical to have “uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage” and “stacking” as part of all motorcycle and automobile insurance policies you purchase and maintain. The attorneys at Georgelis, Larsen & Sabatino Injury Law Firm, P.C. are always ready and willing to answer your questions about the interaction of coverage(s) between and among motorcycle and automobile insurance policies in a household.

First and foremost, make sure that you select the “full tort” coverage option over the “limited tort” one. Full tort allows you to recover for pain and suffering, the loss of life’s pleasures and other forms of non-economic damages that, usually, drive the overall value of a bodily injury claim. If you select limited tort coverage for your motorcycle insurance policy, unless the situation falls within one of several legislatively-defined exceptions, you will only be able to seek compensation for your economic losses, like out-of-pocket medical and other expenses. Additionally, riders should always have sufficient medical coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist benefits and stacking through their motorcycle and automobile insurance policies. The lawyers at Georgelis, Larsen & Sabatino Injury Law Firm, P.C. are always ready and willing to answer your questions about what types of coverage you should have through your motorcycle and/or automobile insurance policies, as well as recommend how much in benefits you should maintain as part of these various coverages.