If you’ve been through a motorcycle accident, the furthest thing from your mind might be insurance, but it is an important factor to take into account if you hope to fully recover and receive full compensation for your injuries and damages. Learn about the ways your insurance could be impacted by your motorcycle accident and factors to take into account when considering how to make the most of your settlement.
Determining Fault Will Impact Insurance
The determination of fault in an accident will often determine which party’s insurance premiums might increase as a result of being the cause of an accident. If you did not cause a crash, your insurance company should not raise your rates. It is important to get evidence that someone else was at fault for this reason and more.
When an officer cites a driver or motorcyclist for a traffic violation that led to a crash, points will likely go on your license. This alone can cause insurance rates to increase. When insurance companies pay out on claims for their own insured who are at fault, the future insurance premiums are likely to increase. If you are involved in an accident and were not at fault, generally, the other party’s insurance company will pay for your injuries and damages, and your insurance premiums should not be impacted.
Proving Fault
Determining and proving which party is at fault in an accident can be more difficult than you might imagine. You might know the other driver swerved into your lane and hit you, but what if he claims that you swerved into his lane, were not using headlights, or were speeding? How do you prove fault to the insurance company which is necessary to obtain a financial recovery?
An experienced motorcycle accident attorney will know how to gather evidence of fault, which might include:
- Nearby business video surveillance footage
- Officers’ dash cam and Officers’ body cam footage
- Witness statements
- Motor vehicle accident reports
- Securing accident reconstructionist experts
- Obtaining medical narratives and expert depositions from treating doctors
- Arrest reports
- Traffic citations and certified dispositions
All of this can help you prove fault to both your insurance company (so your rates do not increase) and the other driver’s insurance company (so you can recover compensation for your losses).
The Other Driver’s Insurance Company Does Not Work For You
When you have been involved in a motorcycle accident and the other party is at fault, it is important to remember that the other driver’s insurance company does not work for you. While they may seem friendly and be quick to offer you a settlement to resolve the claim, their motivation is not in your best interests.
Insurance companies work for a profit, and they earn greater profits by processing cases as quickly as possible and paying out as little as possible on them. While the initial settlement offered might cover your immediate repairs and medical bills, they may overlook long-term problems that might result in you incurring even greater costs and damages that will come out of your pocket.
Connecting with a local personal injury attorney with a motorcycle accident practice to negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf will lead to the greatest possible settlement on your case.
Reach Out to a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Now
Keeping your insurance premiums in place while having your damages covered by the driver that hit you can take some effort, and experience handling this type of claim is valuable. Contact the law firm of Banks, Stubbs, and McFarland to schedule a consultation to discuss how we can help you.