After a motorcycle accident, the decision to repair or replace your motorcycle depends on the circumstances surrounding the accident and the severity of the crash. Your bike may suffer minor damages such as dents and scratches or be totaled during an accident. Whether you file a claim with your insurance carrier, the other driver’s insurer, or pay for repairs out of your pocket depends on the extent of the damages and who was responsible for the accident.
If you are in a roll-over or run-off-road accident and the motorcycle has minor damages, replacing the whole bike may be unnecessary. Instead, you might want to get it repaired. However, if you are involved in a more serious collision, your motorcycle may be totaled. Regardless of whether your motorcycle is repairable or totaled, you should file a claim with your insurance company or the at fault party’s insurance company to seek compensation.
Checking your motorcycle thoroughly after a crash is essential as it helps you identify the slightest damages. You should not ride the motorcycle home if you notice significant damages after an accident. Instead, you should have it towed to a repair shop for a full evaluation of the damage.
However, if your only option is to ride your motorcycle home after a collision (and you believe it is safe to do so) it is best to conduct a motorcycle safety inspection to ensure a safe ride. Here is an essential checklist:
Ultimately, the decision to repair or replace your motorcycle depends on the extent of the damage. For example, you could choose to take it to a repair shop where the repair costs will be sent to the insurance adjuster. Alternatively, the insurance company may declare your bike totaled and compensate you with its actual cash value.
If you are a rider in Milwaukee, Madison, Hales Corners, Appleton, or Green Bay who has been involved in a motorcycle accident, then you should consult with a motorcycle accident attorney. At Natasha Misra Law, we help motorcycle accident victims determine the true value of their claims and fight to get them the compensation they need to get healthy and back on the road. Contact us online or call us at 414-635-2858 to schedule a free consultation today.
Automobile insurance is a contractual agreement between you and your insurance company. Your insurance company promises to provide compensation for injuries or property damage that you suffer as the result of an automobile accident in exchange for a premium.
Wisconsin drivers are required by Wisconsin’s Financial Responsibility Law to carry automobile insurance. At minimum, your auto insurance policy must provide liability coverage for the following amounts:
Additionally, Wisconsin drivers are required to carry uninsured motorist coverage with a minimum bodily injury coverage of at least $25,000 for injury or death of one person and $50,000 for injury or death of two or more people.
Personal automobile insurance covers you (the named insured), your spouse, other relatives living in the same household and anyone you give permission to driver your automobile unless excluded from the policy.
If you are responsible for an auto accident that injures other people, bodily injury liability coverage protects your personal assets up to the stated amount of coverage for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, as well as other losses sustained by the injured individuals. Bodily injury coverage does not cover your injuries that you experience as a result of an accident that is your fault.
Property damage liability coverage, on the other hand, pays for property damage that you cause as a result of a car accident. This coverage pays for any damage up to your insurance policy’s limit. This coverage includes damages to someone else’s vehicle, someone else’s personal property and structural damage to property you do not own such as a street sign or light pole.
This coverage is for you, your family and other passengers in your vehicle who sustain injuries when struck by a vehicle who has no insurance or by a hit and run driver. This coverage also covers you and your family members if injured as a pedestrian when struck by a driver with no insurance or a driver who hits you and leaves the scene of an accident. The amount covered is based on the policy limits purchased.
Although underinsured (UIM) coverage is not mandatory, many Wisconsin driver choose to carry this type of coverage for further protection. You should choose to have UIM coverage in case the at fault party does not have sufficient policy limits to cover your losses. UIM coverage increases the bodily injury protection to you and the passengers in your vehicle if the limits of the at fault party are less than your UIM coverage limits.
Medical payments coverage is a benefit that pays for medical expenses or funeral expenses for you or any others injured or killed in an auto accident in your vehicle regardless of fault. This type of coverage also covers you or your family members as pedestrians if hit by a car or riding as a passenger in someone else’s vehicle.
This type of coverage is useful to pay for co-payments or deductibles that your health insurance does not cover, as well as applicable out-of-pocket expenses.
While Wisconsin’s Financial Responsibility Law requires drivers to carry bodily injury liability coverage, property damage liability coverage, and uninsured motorist coverage, many drivers choose to purchase more coverage than is required by law to protect their personal assets after an accident.
This coverage will repair damages to your vehicle or pay in the event your vehicle has been declared totaled from a collision with another vehicle or object, even if you are at fault for the accident.
Even though collision coverage is not mandatory in the State of Wisconsin, financial institutions (lienholders) may require you to take out collision coverage to protect their interest at the time of a collision.
Comprehensive coverage is an elective coverage that pays for damage to your vehicle caused by covered events such as theft, vandalism, flooding, hail, broken glass, falling objects and even hitting an animal such as a deer.
If you have been injured in an auto accident, you should discuss your options with an experienced Milwaukee personal injury attorney. Natasha Misra Law helps Wisconsin accident victims seek the compensation they deserve for their injuries. If you have been in an accident and suffered from bodily injury or property damage, you should not have to bear the economic burden. Together, we will look at the facts of your case and uncover all potential sources of recovery.
Call our office today at (414) 635-2833 for a free consultation and speak with an experienced Milwaukee car accident lawyer.
My law practice is dedicated to helping people who have suffered injuries in accidents which were not their fault. Born and raised in Milwaukee, I come from a family of medical professionals. My background and experience help me understand and represent individuals injured in accidents.
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