There is one major difference between car insurance and motorcycle insurance in Minnesota: personal injury protection coverage. Learn how this can affect you after a crash with another vehicle.

It is important to carefully consider the coverages and coverage limits you should purchase when buying insurance. If you do not purchase enough coverage, you may be stuck paying medical bills and other expenses out of your own pocket. Medical bills from an accident can be difficult to afford, particularly when you cannot work because of a severe injury.

If you are struggling to obtain compensation after a car crash, call TSR Injury Law to schedule a free consultation. We have helped numerous car crash victims obtain compensation after an accident.

Personal Injury Protection Insurance

Minnesota is a no-fault state, which means car accident victims must turn to their own auto insurance, under the personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, no matter who is at fault for the crash.  PIP will cover medical bills, wage loss, funeral costs and costs to hire someone to perform household activities.

Minnesota mandates a minimum of $40,000 ($20,000.00 medical and $20,000.00 wage) in (PIP), but many people purchase more than the minimum required by law.

Unfortunately, Minnesota does not require motorcyclists to purchase this coverage and in fact most insurance carriers do not even sell PIP for motorcycles  (There is a small substitute for PIP for motorcycles.  It is called Medical Payments coverage (medpay).  Medpay is only for medical bills and is sold from $1,000.00 to $5,000.00 in coverages.)  Insurers are only required to provide liability insurance for motorcyclists. Liability insurance is intended to provide compensation to victims of an accident that you cause. Even if you have PIP coverage on an automobile, you cannot use it if you were injured while riding a motorcycle you own.  There is an obscure loophole if you are a passenger on a non-owned motorcycle that TSR attorneys may be able to use for your case.

The legal rationale motorcycles do not require PIP coverage is because according to Minnesota’s No-Fault Automobile Insurance Act, a motorcycle is not considered a motor vehicle. The PIP insurance mandated by this law only apply to injuries or losses that arise from the use or maintenance of a motor vehicle.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

There is no telling how much insurance coverage the other driver who caused your motorcycle crash may have, or if the other driver will even have insurance coverage. Even though Minnesota requires drivers to have minimum coverage, many ignore this law. Some drivers forget to pay their premium and their coverage lapses, or they simply cannot afford insurance on top of a car payment.

No matter if you purchase medpay for your motorcycle, you should strongly consider purchasing uninsured motorist coverage to protect you if the other driver does not have insurance. (You should strongly consider purchasing both medpay and uninsured motorist coverage, as motorcycle crashes often result in significant injuries that require expensive treatment.)

Since you can only file a lawsuit for crash damages in certain situations, you may not be able to rely on filing a lawsuit to recover compensation. Even if you can file a lawsuit, if someone does not have insurance coverage, it is unlikely they will have many assets for your Minneapolis motorcycle accident attorney to go after.

Other Coverages You Should Consider

There are a variety of other coverages you can purchase for your motorcycle to help cover damages from a crash or other situation:

Collision

This provides compensation for damage to your motorcycle if you are involved in a crash with another driver or other hazards, like signs, trees or cars that are parked. You may also be able to obtain compensation to repair or replace your helmet if it gets damaged in the crash.

Comprehensive

In a no-contact accident, there might not be anyone to pursue compensation from, unless you can file a claim against the entity responsible for maintaining the road where you crashed. This is where comprehensive coverage comes in. You may be able to file a claim for compensation for a no-contact accident, such as a crash caused by falling debris or damage to your bike because of a pothole or vandalism.

Get Help Pursuing Compensation for a Motorcycle Crash

Our trusted attorneys are here to help crash victims who need compensation for the cost of medical care and other damages they may have suffered. The initial meeting with our lawyers is free of charge, as we know a crash can result in a financial crisis for many people.

Unless we recover compensation for your claim, there are no attorney fees. That means no risk to you in talking to us about your potential legal options.

Have questions and need help after a crash? Call us today at: (612) TSR-TIME